Unprecedented downpour paralyses Kolkata: 251 mm rain breaks 4-decade record, 8 dead

Kolkata: The heaviest overnight rainfall in years wreaked havoc across Kolkata, submerging vast areas, bringing public life to a standstill, and claiming at least eight lives through electrocution.

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Tuesday, announced jobs for the families of the deceased and urged the private power utility CESC to provide compensation to them.

The deluge, measuring 251.4 mm in less than 24 hours, was reportedly the highest since 1986 and the sixth-highest single-day rainfall in the past 137 years, surpassed only by 369.6 mm in 1978, 253 mm in 1888, and 259.5 mm in 1986.

It turned arterial roads into rivers, snapping Metro and train services, and throwing air travel into disarray as the city gasped for normalcy ahead of Bengal’s biggest festival, Durga Puja, next week.

Expressing grief over the deaths caused by electrocution, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee described the downpour as “unprecedented” and criticised the inadequate dredging of the Farakka Barrage as well as lapses by CESC.

According to sources, Banerjee contacted Sanjiv Goenka, Chairman of the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, urging him to provide compensation to the families of the deceased.

She also announced a two-day closure of educational institutions and cancelled the inauguration of Kolkata Puja pandals.

“In view of the situation, Puja holidays are being advanced in state-run institutions,” Education minister Bratya Basu said. Calcutta University and Jadavpur University suspended academic activities, while private schools either declared holidays or switched to online classes.

“I am in constant touch with the city’s Mayor, Chief Secretary, and the police. Farakka is not dredged properly, so every time it rains in Bihar, UP, Uttarakhand, Mumbai, Delhi, everywhere there is waterlogging. This time the rain is slightly unusual,” Banerjee stated on Tuesday morning.

Torrential rain, which was just two mm short of a cloud burst, prompted the state government to open a control room at Nabanna, and the Chief Minister herself monitored the situation throughout the day. Control room numbers were 033 22143526/033 2253 51185, whereas the toll-free number was 8697981070. Banerjee, who visited several waterlogged areas, urged the people to remain indoors. IMD’s Alipore station recorded around 251.4 mm of rain, the highest in the city since August 24, 1988, when Kolkata registered 253 mm of rainfall. She also announced the closure of educational institutions.

“I have never seen rain like this. I feel so bad for the people who have lost their lives in the cloudburst. I have told schools to give a holiday today, and even office-goers should not come to work. Even tomorrow, you should not come,” Banerjee said.

In a social media post, she added: “There cannot be any compensation against any deaths. We will ensure employment for one person from each family of the deceased. I have spoken to CESC and urged them to provide compensation.”

Train, Metro Railway, and flight services in Kolkata were also severely affected. The MeT office said that the city is bracing for more downpour, as a low-pressure area over the northeast Bay of Bengal is likely to bring heavy rain in several south Bengal districts.

The Chief Minister also conveyed her condolences for those who tragically lost their lives and emphasised the need for urgent support for the affected families, including employment assurances for the next of kin.

She apprehended that water woes may continue. “There will be more waterlogging. There is a high tide in the Ganga River from Mahalaya. Where will we pump out the water? There is no place to go; it will again have to go to the Ganga only. Where will we send this water, which is full of water from Bihar and UP. The Centre has cut our money through GST, and all our funds are going to deal with these calamities,” Banerjee added.

Mayor and Urban Development minister Firhad Hakim admitted that most parts of the city were waterlogged despite continuous pumping by civic teams.

“The canals and rivers are full of water, and every time water is drained out, more comes inside the city. The situation may not improve until after tonight’s low tide,” he said.