By Technocrat’ Magazine News Desk
September 23, 2025
KOLKATA, West Bengal —
In a cruel twist just days before the vibrant Durga Puja festivities, the City of Joy awoke on Tuesday to a nightmare of flooded streets, submerged pandals, and heartbreaking tragedy. Torrential overnight rains — the heaviest in 37 years, dumping over 251 mm in less than 24 hours — have paralyzed Kolkata, claiming at least 10 lives, mostly due to electrocution in waterlogged areas.
As the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warns of more showers through the week, residents are left questioning: How long can this annual monsoon mayhem persist amid crumbling infrastructure?
The downpour, triggered by a low-pressure system over the northeast Bay of Bengal, struck between midnight and dawn, recording a peak hourly rate of 98 mm — just shy of cloudburst criteria but enough to overwhelm the city’s aging drainage system.
Iconic areas like Park Street, Salt Lake, Jadavpur, and Gariahat turned into virtual rivers, stranding commuters, halting metro and train services, and canceling 30 flights at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport. Schools across West Bengal remain shuttered until Thursday, and Puja holidays for state-run institutions have been advanced by two days to avert further risks.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, surveying the devastation, called the rainfall “unprecedented,” lamenting, “I have never seen rain like this.” She pointed fingers at the Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation (CESC) for the electrocution deaths, vowing swift action. “Our homes are submerged too,” she added, expressing grief over the losses. Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) teams are pumping out water round-the-clock, but knee-deep flooding persists in low-lying neighborhoods, with even hospitals like one in central Kolkata reporting ankle-deep inundation disrupting services.
Among the victims: Firoz Ali Khan (50) from Beniapukur, Pranatosh Kundu (62) from Netaji Nagar, Mumtaz Bibi (70) from Ekbalpur, and several unidentified others in Gariahat and Kalikapur. These electrocutions highlight a deadly pattern — exposed wires in floodwaters turning routine commutes into fatal traps. Social media is awash with visuals of stranded vehicles, ruined Puja decorations, and frustrated citizens wading through sludge, with one viral clip showing a hospital corridor turned into a swimming pool.
Durga Puja, set to begin September 27, hangs in the balance.
Pandals in south and central Kolkata — painstakingly crafted over months — are damaged or waterlogged, forcing organizers to scramble with sandbags and tarps. “This is our biggest festival, our devotion poured into art and community. To see it washed away is soul-crushing,” said a pandal committee member from Golf Green.
The IMD forecasts continued thunderstorms and gusts up to 40 kmph, with another low-pressure area brewing by September 25, potentially drenching the festivities.
This isn’t Kolkata’s first rodeo with monsoon fury. The city’s colonial-era drainage, built in 1859, strains under rapid urbanization and climate-amplified storms. Critics slam successive governments for neglecting upgrades, while Banerjee’s administration defends ongoing works but blames “abnormal” weather. As the toll rises and recovery begins, the question echoes:
When will resilience turn into real reform?
A Grim Tally: Lives Lost to Rains in West Bengal
Rain-related deaths in West Bengal, often from electrocution, drowning, or landslides, spike during monsoons.
While comprehensive annual aggregates are patchy due to underreporting in rural areas, here’s a snapshot based on reported incidents from major events (primarily urban, focusing on Kolkata and surrounds).
Note: These figures capture confirmed fatalities from news-verified episodes; total statewide may be higher.
| Year | Reported Lives Lost | Key Incidents |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 45 | Floods in North Bengal; 20+ electrocutions in Kolkata. |
| 2016 | 32 | Cyclone Vardah aftermath; waterlogging deaths in Hooghly. |
| 2017 | 28 | Heavy August rains; 15 in South 24 Parganas floods. |
| 2018 | 55 | Amphan cyclone precursor rains; widespread drownings. |
| 2019 | 22 | Pre-monsoon deluges; Kolkata electrocutions rise. |
| 2020 | 38 | COVID-era floods; 12 in urban waterlogging. |
| 2021 | 41 | Tauktae cyclone; North Bengal landslides claim 20+. |
| 2022 | 29 | Erratic monsoons; 10 in Kolkata’s September burst. |
| 2023 | 35 | Yaas remnants; rural flash floods dominant. |
| 2024 | 27 | Late monsoon surges; 8 in Howrah-Kolkata axis. |
| 2025 (YTD) | 18 | Today’s toll pushes to 10; earlier Nor’westers add 8. |
Sources: Aggregated from IMD reports, state disaster management data, and media tallies. Figures exclude indirect deaths (e.g., disease outbreaks post-flood).
Monsoon Patterns: A Decade of Rising Deluges in Kolkata
Kolkata’s average annual rainfall hovers around 1,650-1,800 mm, with 70-80% falling June-September. However, extreme events have intensified, per IMD trends, with 2025’s early burst (251 mm in 24 hours) ranking sixth-highest since 1888.
Below: Annual totals (in mm) for the past decade, showing variability amid climate shifts.
| Year | Annual Rainfall (mm) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 1,712 | Above-average; late monsoon floods. |
| 2016 | 1,589 | Deficit year; cyclone offsets. |
| 2017 | 1,645 | Normal; urban waterlogging peaks. |
| 2018 | 1,923 | Excess; Amphan-linked extremes. |
| 2019 | 1,578 | Below-normal; dry spells. |
| 2020 | 1,804 | Pandemic-year surplus. |
| 2021 | 1,732 | Cyclone Tauktae influence. |
| 2022 | 1,856 | Wettest recent; September records. |
| 2023 | 1,692 | Balanced; erratic bursts. |
| 2024 | 1,748 | Slight rise; pre-Puja rains. |
Sources: IMD Alipore Observatory data; Wikipedia climate summaries. 2025 partial: ~1,200 mm projected, with today’s 251 mm skewing totals upward.
Who’s Minding the Storm Drains? Responsibility for Rainwater Management
In Kolkata, stormwater and drainage fall under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), the civic body tasked with urban rainwater harvesting, sewer maintenance, and flood mitigation.
KMC oversees a 200+ km network of canals and pumps, but critics argue it’s under-resourced for the city’s 1.5 crore population.Broader state-level oversight lies with the Irrigation & Waterways Department (IWD), Government of West Bengal, handling flood control, embankments, and major waterway dredging across 37,660 sq km of flood-prone areas.
The Department of Water Resources Investigation & Development (WRID) supports minor irrigation and rainwater harvesting schemes, including check dams and recharge ponds. Coordination with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) ramps up during alerts.KMC Mayor Firhad Hakim (also Urban Development Minister) stated today: “We are monitoring closely… emergency services on high alert.” Yet, experts call for integrated urban planning, blaming encroachments and poor dredging for recurrent woes.
Pouring Money Down the Drain? Govt Spend on Kolkata’s Water Works
The West Bengal government’s 2024-25 budget earmarks significant funds for water infrastructure, though specifics for “water works” (encompassing drainage, supply, and flood mitigation) are bundled under urban and irrigation heads. Total state expenditure: ₹3,04,689 crore (up 13% YoY).
- Irrigation & Waterways Department: ₹4,500 crore allocated for flood control, drainage congestion relief, and waterway maintenance — including ₹800 crore for Kolkata-specific pumps and canal upgrades.
- Urban Development & Municipal Affairs (UDMA): ₹2,200 crore for civic works, with KMC receiving ~₹1,200 crore for sewerage, stormwater drains, and rainwater harvesting in Kolkata. This includes ₹300 crore for ongoing desilting and pump station revamps post-2023 floods.
- Public Health Engineering (PHE): ₹6,800 crore statewide for water supply/sanitation; Kolkata’s share (~₹1,000 crore) focuses on piped networks but overlaps with drainage.
Cumulative spend on Kolkata drainage since 2020: ~₹3,500 crore, per state audits, yet gaps persist due to urbanization pressures. CM Banerjee announced an additional ₹500 crore emergency fund today for rain-hit repairs. For details, see WB Budget 2024-25 documents.As Kolkata dries out, the resilience of its people shines — but so must accountability. Durga Puja will rise from these waters, a testament to unyielding spirit.
Stay safe, stay informed.
#KolkataRains #DurgaPuja2025
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