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Record Deluge Paralyzes Kolkata, Leaves 11 Dead Ahead of Durga Puja

Forecasters warn of continued heavy rain with a fresh Bay of Bengal low expected around September 25.

Overview

  • Kolkata logged about 251.4 mm of rain in 24 hours, its heaviest single-day total in nearly four decades, after an intense low-pressure system focused moisture over south Bengal.
  • Waterlogging swamped neighborhoods and Durga Puja pandals, with KMC gauges showing extremes such as 332 mm at Garia Kamdahari, 285 mm at Jodhpur Park and 280 mm at Kalighat.
  • Transport was crippled as the Metro halted services between Shahid Khudiram and Maidan, suburban rail sections were suspended, and about 30 flights were cancelled with dozens more delayed.
  • Officials reported 11 deaths, mostly from electrocution, as civic teams opened control rooms and pumped floodwater from inundated roads, homes and markets.
  • The state advanced school Puja holidays to September 24–25 and urged remote work while the IMD kept heavy-rain alerts for south Bengal into Wednesday.