Kolkata rains have once again exposed the city’s fragile infrastructure. On Tuesday, torrential downpour—251.4 mm in less than 24 hours—paralysed the metropolis, killing 10 people, nine of them by electrocution. The rain was the heaviest since 1986 and the sixth-highest single-day rainfall in 137 years.
On Wednesday, large parts of Salt Lake, north and central Kolkata remained waterlogged. Residents of Bidhannagar faced severe flooding, with vehicles crawling and pedestrians wading through knee-deep water. Authorities worked overnight to pump out water, but relief was slow.
Transport services, including air, rail, and Metro, were thrown into chaos. Schools and colleges were shut, and the state government advanced Durga Puja holidays. Even Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had to postpone her pandal inaugurations.
Though the Met department has ruled out heavy rain in the next 24 hours, it warned of light to moderate showers with thunder and gusty winds. The administration’s biggest challenge now is to restore normal life before Durga Puja.
