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Kolkata Begins Recovery After Heaviest Rains in Decades as Officials Warn of More Showers

Water has receded in many neighborhoods, but lingering flooding, electrocution deaths and compensation pledges shape the response as services are restored before Durga Puja.

Overview

  • IMD logged about 251 mm of rain in 24 hours in the city, with pockets near 332 mm, calling it extreme rainfall from a Bay of Bengal low and clarifying it was not a cloudburst.
  • Authorities reported roughly 10–12 fatalities, most from electrocution, and the state announced Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia for next of kin along with promised employment support.
  • Metro sections, suburban rail and dozens of flights were disrupted as pumps were deployed across Kolkata; power remained out in some areas for up to 36–40 hours before gradual restoration.
  • Durga Puja preparations suffered with damaged pandals and idols, schools brought holidays forward to Sept. 24–25, and businesses counted losses from inundated stock and contaminated water.
  • Meteorologists cautioned that a fresh low-pressure area around Sept. 25 could bring additional rain to parts of south Bengal in the coming days even as cleanup continues.