As many as 10 persons have lost their lives in rain-related incidents in Kolkata, with nine of them reportedly electrocuted. The city witnessed a staggering 251.4 mm of rainfall in less than 24 hours, the heaviest since 1986, plunging the metropolis into chaos.
The relentless downpour triggered severe waterlogging and massive traffic snarls, effectively bringing daily life to a standstill. Major roads were submerged, vehicles stranded for hours and Metro services on waterlogged sections of the Blue Line were suspended.
Thousands of commuters were left with no choice but to wade through waist-deep water in several low-lying areas, as public transportation ground to a halt. Emergency services are struggling to cope, and authorities have urged residents to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary.
Flight operations hit amid rains
Bad weather disrupted flight operations on Tuesday, leading to 90 cancellations and over 90 delays by the evening. According to a bulletin from the Airport Operations Control Centre (AOCC), between midnight and 7:30 pm, 42 incoming and 49 outgoing flights were cancelled at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport.
The cancellations were caused by continuous rain, low visibility and poor weather conditions both in Kolkata and at other destinations.
Several local trains cancelled due to waterlogging
The waterlogging has also disrupted the train services in Kolkata. As many as 22 locals have been cancelled in the Howrah division.
"The torrential rains since last night have caused waterlogging at various yards like Howrah yard and also in Sealdah yard. It has affected the train services. We are trying hard to maintain the normal services, deploying pumps at several places, but due to the adjacent low-lying areas, the water is flowing back. In the Howrah division, there are very minimal cancellations of the suburban trains. Only 22 locals have been cancelled," Diptimoy Dutta, CPRO Eastern Railway, said.
"In the Sealdah division, normal train services have also been resumed in the North and mainline section. Only in the Sealdah-South section between Sealdah and Ballygunge have train services not resumed. Beyond Ballygunge, the services are running. In the circular railway section, as the waterlogging is more severe, the circular railway services are not running at present," he added.
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Mamata Banerjee blamed poor dredging of the Farakka barrage
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee blamed poor dredging of the Farakka barrage and lapses by private power utility CESC for the deaths, describing the downpour as unprecedented.
"I have never seen rain like this. In all, ten people have died, out of which nine deaths were caused by electrocution from unattended live cables. Eight people died in Kolkata and two others in adjoining areas of Shashan in North 24 Parganas and Amtala in South 24 Parganas. It is so unfortunate," she said in a virtual address.
Schools closed
Authorities have declared that all government-run educational institutions will be closed on September 24 and 25, effectively moving the start of the Puja holidays forward by two days from the originally planned date of September 26.
IMD predicts more showers
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted the formation of another low-pressure area around September 25, which is expected to bring more rainfall to the region. Due to this, widespread light to moderate rain is likely across several districts of South Bengal, with chances of isolated heavy to very heavy showers.
The IMD has also issued an advisory for fishermen, warning them not to venture into the sea over the north Bay of Bengal and along the West Bengal-Odisha coasts until Saturday, as strong winds with speeds over 45 kmph and rough sea conditions are expected in these areas.
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