KOLKATA: Kolkata reeled under its heaviest rainfall in nearly four decades on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, as a torrential downpour of 251.4 mm brought the bustling metropolis of 15 million people to a complete standstill. The unprecedented deluge, which occurred just days before the city’s biggest festival, Durga Puja, claimed at least 10 lives and caused widespread damage to infrastructure and festival preparations.
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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) confirmed this as the sixth-highest single-day rainfall in the city’s 137-year recorded history. The intensity of the rain, which peaked at a near-cloudburst level of 98 mm per hour between 3 am and 4 am, exposed the city’s vulnerability to extreme weather events.
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Key Facts of the Deluge
- Rainfall Recorded: 251.4 mm in less than 24 hours.
- Peak Intensity: 98 mm per hour between 3 am – 4 am.
- Worst-Hit Areas: Southern and eastern neighborhoods, including Garia Kamdahari (332 mm), Jodhpur Park (285 mm), and Kalighat (280 mm).
- Deaths Confirmed: 10-12 fatalities, with 8-9 in Kolkata primarily due to electrocution.
- Major Impact: Severe disruption to metro, flight, and railway services; extensive damage to Durga Puja pandals.
Casualties and Chief Minister’s Response
Tragedy struck as the city waterlogged, with electrocution being the primary cause of death. Most incidents involved contact with live cables, submerged streetlight poles, and waterlogged electrical installations.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed anguish over the deaths and directly blamed the private power utility, CESC (Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation). She announced a compensation of ₹5 lakh for each victim’s family and promised government jobs to the next of kin.
“The electrocution deaths are unacceptable. The power utility must modernize its infrastructure. We are with the families in this hour of grief,” the Chief Minister stated.
City Transport Grinds to a Halt
The record rainfall triggered an unprecedented transport crisis across all modes.
Kolkata Metro’s Longest Disruption
The vital Blue Line of the Kolkata Metro faced its longest-ever disruption, lasting 13 hours. Water flooded the tunnels between Rabindra Sarobar and Tollygunge stations, submerging tracks and forcing a shutdown of power. Services resumed only at 5:38 pm after extensive water-pumping operations.
Flight Operations Crippled
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport saw massive disruptions. The runway was waterlogged, leading to the cancellation of at least 55 flights (28 arrivals and 27 departures) and delays to many more. Seven high-capacity pumps were deployed to drain water from critical areas.
Trains and Roads Submerged
Eastern Railway suspended numerous long-distance and suburban services as the yards at Howrah and Sealdah were completely submerged. Key arterial roads, including the EM Bypass and AJC Bose Road, turned into rivers, leaving vehicles stranded for hours and causing massive traffic snarls.
Durga Puja Preparations Suffer a Major Blow
The timing of the storm proved catastrophic for Durga Puja, the most significant cultural festival in Bengal. Months of meticulous work by artisans were destroyed as water inundated and damaged numerous pandals across the city.
- Bosepukur Talbagan: The entire pandal structure was submerged for hours.
- Hatibagan Nabin Pally: The pandal suffered extensive structural damage, with walls partially collapsing.
- Santoshpur Lake Pally: Artificial decorations and artistic replicas were ruined.
Puja organizers and vendors faced massive financial losses, with many reporting inventory and artwork damage worth lakhs of rupees.
Government Declares Early Holidays, Sets Up Control Room
Recognizing the severity of the situation, the West Bengal government declared an early Durga Puja holiday for all educational institutions, starting from September 24 instead of September 26.
Chief Minister Banerjee canceled her scheduled Puja inaugurations, directed state government employees to work from home, and established a 24/7 control room to monitor the situation. She also appealed to the private sector to allow work-from-home options for employee safety.
Weather Forecast and Climate Concerns
The IMD has attributed the extreme rainfall to a low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal. The weather office has warned of continued heavy to very heavy rainfall across Gangetic West Bengal over the next few days, with a fresh system likely to form around September 25.
Climate experts point to this near-cloudburst event as a stark reminder of how climate change is intensifying weather patterns, making coastal cities like Kolkata increasingly susceptible to such devastating floods.