Rainfall of over 300mm floods Kolkata, leaves city paralyzed. Mayor Firhad Hakim admits never seeing such deluge; electrocution deaths reported amid waterlogging crisis.
By Qalam Times News Network | Kolkata | September 23, 2025
Rainfall Leaves City Waterlogged
Rainfall since Monday night has thrown Kolkata into chaos, submerging neighborhoods from north to south, including Mayor Firhad Hakim’s own locality in Chetla. While monitoring the crisis from the civic control room on Tuesday morning, the Mayor admitted he had never seen such torrential rain in his lifetime. Several electrocution deaths have already been reported across the city.
Mayor’s Shock at the Scale of Downpour
“Born and raised in Kolkata, I have never witnessed such rainfall here,” Hakim said, noting that the city recorded more than 300 millimeters of rain overnight. He described it as “a disastrous rainfall we have never experienced before.”
The Mayor explained that the crisis is compounded by rising water levels in the Hooghly River and overflowing drainage canals, causing backflow into the city even when pumps push water out.
Drainage System Overwhelmed
Hakim revealed that while the Kolkata Municipal Corporation has opened lock gates and pumped water into canals, the swollen river and saturated drainage channels have forced water back into the city. “Our pumping stations can drain about 20 millimeters of water per hour, but with 300 millimeters accumulated, it will naturally take time,” he said. The situation is expected to improve only after the Hooghly’s high tide recedes late Tuesday afternoon.
Citywide Flooding and Deaths
Continuous rainfall has left several major roads and narrow lanes underwater, even in places where waterlogging had never been reported before. Houses, vehicles, and key intersections remain submerged. Police confirmed at least three electrocution deaths, while two more bodies have been recovered. Fear has gripped residents as live wires in flooded streets add to the danger.
Mayor Urges Residents to Stay Indoors
Appealing for public safety, Hakim advised citizens to remain indoors. “Please don’t step out today—many who did were electrocuted,” he warned. He clarified that streetlights had already been switched off by the civic body, suggesting victims may have been electrocuted from other sources. “We are helpless in the face of nature; this was no ordinary rainfall,” he admitted.
Record Rainfall Across Neighborhoods
Between Monday night and Tuesday morning, Garia recorded 332 millimeters of rain, Chetla logged 262 millimeters, while Kalighat, Ballygunge, Jodhpur Park, and Topsia saw between 250 and 300 millimeters. The Mayor stressed that such abnormal rainfall was beyond the city’s capacity to manage.
