Kolkata woke up on Tuesday to flooded streets, halted transport, and power outages after heavy overnight rain battered the city for nearly seven hours. At least five people lost their lives, including a 60-year-old man who was electrocuted in south Kolkata, police confirmed.
The rain began late Monday night and continued past dawn, dumping record amounts of water across both southern and northern parts of the city. According to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Kamdahari in Garia recorded 332 millimeters, Jodhpur Park 285, Kalighat 280, and Topsia 275 by early morning.
Large parts of the city were left under knee-to-waist-deep water. Neighbourhoods such as Lake Market, Rashbehari, Thanthania, Patuli, Santoshpur Avenue, Park Circus, Nagerbazar, and Bosepukur Talbagan were among the worst affected. At Thanthania, water rose to waist level. In Bosepukur Talbagan, Durga Puja pandals were submerged.
“This kind of water, I haven’t seen since I was a child,” said Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim, speaking from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation control room. “Now, many poor people who live on the streets or in low-lying areas are staying in school buildings. Food is being arranged for them. If there is no more rain, I hope the water will recede by tonight.”
The flooding hit transport hard. Several cars broke down on waterlogged roads. School buses and pool cars stayed off the streets. Many schools declared holidays, while several offices advised staff to work from home.
Railway services were badly disrupted. Eastern Railway officials said both Howrah and Sealdah yards were submerged, forcing the cancellation of major trains including the Hazarduari Express and the Sealdah–Jangipur Express. The Sealdah South section and the Circular Railway line were completely suspended. Skeleton services ran in the Sealdah North and main sections.
Metro Railway was also hit. Significant waterlogging was reported between Mahanayak Uttam Kumar and Rabindra Sarobar stations, leading to the suspension of services on that stretch.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned that more rain is expected. A low-pressure area over the northeast Bay of Bengal is likely to bring heavy showers to several south Bengal districts through Wednesday. The IMD issued an orange alert for South 24 Parganas and yellow alerts for East and West Medinipur, North 24 Parganas, Kolkata, East Burdwan, Howrah, and Hooghly.
The timing of the downpour has caused worry for Durga Puja organizers. Many pandals across south and central Kolkata reported water entering their structures. Volunteers scrambled to protect decorations and electrical wiring as the rain continued into the morning.
The human cost of the disaster is still being assessed. Police identified Jitendra Singh, 60, as one of the deceased. He was electrocuted around 5:15 a.m. at Hossain Shah Road and was declared dead at SSKM Hospital. Other deaths were reported from low-lying areas where waterlogging was most severe.
Authorities urged commuters to avoid flood-prone roads including AJC Bose Road, APC Roy Road, the Maa Flyover, EM Bypass near Ruby Crossing, and Park Circus Connector. Long traffic jams were reported across these routes as vehicles stalled in the water.
Relief work is underway, with civic teams pumping out water and police coordinating rescue and shelter arrangements. But with forecasts of more rain and another low-pressure system likely to form later this week, Kolkata remains on high alert.
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