Kolkata — the City of Joy — is currently experiencing one of the most violent rain episodes it has had in recent times. As the city prepares for Durga Puja, the situation is such that the streets are flooded, power lines hang precariously, and the whole life scheme has stopped at a standstill.
What, why, and how these things were reported by UNTOLDNOW and what the impact on Kolkata (and its subsequent resilience) infers, these are the things we try to explore here.
Contents
1- The Crisis Unfolds: What Happened
A Rainfall Like No Other
On 23rd September 2025, an extremely heavy shower hit the city of Kolkata in the middle of the night and flooding on a large scale took place along with waterlogging in various parts of the city.
Within a single day, more than 251.4 mm of rain fell — ranking it as the third-highest one-day rainfall for September in the weather history of Kolkata.
Extremely high numbers were registered in some localities: Garia Kamdahari 332 mm, Jodhpur Park 285 mm, Kalighat 280 mm, Topsia 275 mm, Ballygunge 264 mm, and Alipore 251 mm of rain were recorded.
While many were labeling the incident a “cloudburst,” the IMD (India Meteorological Department) was quite clear that it was a rapid intensification of low-pressure with cloud dynamics, not a classical cloudburst.
Floods, Electrocutions & Losses
At least 11 people lost their lives, of those 9 are from Kolkata and 2 are from the adjoining areas. The majority of the deaths were caused by electrocutions when the floodwaters mixed with the exposed electric lines.
Relatively, 30+ people injured, and 2 missing were also part of the incident, the reports suggest.
The floods severely impacted transportation in all modes of transit — apart from the submerged roads, metro tracks were flooded, train lines were affected, and airplanes were either delayed or canceled.
Numerous Durga Puja pandals as well as the clay idols that were there have been destroyed by the water or are in danger of getting damaged. Temporary festival structures are particularly defenseless in this regard.
The Commercial—
Gariahat, Hatibagan, New Market, College Street—has been struck by the strong winds. Shops reported that their merchandise was heavily damaged.
Why the Deluge Was So Severe
One of the reasons why the deluge was so severe was that blocked drainage and clogged canals aggravated the situation beyond the limit. According to KMC (Kolkata Municipal Corporation), flooding in Amherst Street, Ballygunge, Patuli, and other localities is due to the accumulation of plastic waste, construction debris, siltation, and the disconnection of natural ponds.
What made the floods to not subside was a heavy tide on the Hooghly river that was causing poor drainage.
The disappearance of water bodies in the city and urban sprawl have led to the loss of the city’s natural “sponges” that used to absorb excess rainwater.
2- Latest Reports & Forecasts
Current Status
• Although things in Kolkata are slowly returning to “normal,” there are still quite a few places that are waterlogged.
• Caution is advised when it comes to the operation of schools and offices; some of them are already temporarily closed.
• Several patients with leptospirosis, diarrhoea, viral and gastrointestinal infections, as well as skin diseases caused by polluted floodwater that people have been exposed to for a long time are crowding hospitals.
• After the waters receded, a dead body was discovered in the Gariahat area, so, one of the deaths caused by this catastrophe has been identified.
• The political tensions are also on a rise — BJP has accused the state government (Trinamool Congress) of being incompetent in the management of the crisis.
Weather Outlook & Season Forecast
According to the IMD, there will still be quite a few days of continuous rain. A low-pressure area is predicted to develop over the Bay of Bengal around 25 September, and by 26 September, a depression might be formed, which would result in new rainfall in Kolkata and the adjoining districts.
The southern Bengal districts such as Purba Medinipur, Paschim Medinipur and South 24 Parganas are going to experience showers of light to moderate intensity and some places will get heavy to very heavy rain.
This is being described as the strongest non-cyclonic rain system over Kolkata in the last 40 years, with the effects being worsened due to the concentration and sluggish movement of the system.
The event from a long-term perspective as an extreme case of rain and storm formation aligns with the general climate-risk scenarios: that is, the intensification of very severe short-duration rainfalls in urban areas due to global warming.
3- What This Means for Kolkata
Human & Health Toll
The list of very immediate and very serious costs is indeed heartbreaking: the death of people, destruction of houses, injured people, and the outbreak of various health issues. The floodwaters that are polluted with sewage and waste cause only an increase in the risk of diseases, the chances of which are already high in the overcrowded urban areas.
Infrastructure Under Stress
The heavy rain has uncovered the substantial deficiencies in the drainage systems, water management planning, and maintenance in Kolkata. When the natural waterways are blocked or destroyed, at the same time if the water drainage infrastructure is not capable of handling the stormwater, then flooding becomes a must.
Festival at Risk
Durga Puja (the most spectacular festival of Kolkata) is hung by a thread. There might be festival destruction caused by pandals, the idols’ installation getting delayed, and the festival being stopped because of the lack of public access this year.
Highly needed are climate change adaptation plans that are specifically designed for the big cities of India and particularly for the cities that are located in flood-prone areas like Kolkata.
Final Thoughts
The blog is published by UNTOLDNOW The flooding in Kolkata 2025 is not just an unfortunate extreme event — it’s a strong indication of how even the most resilient, historically bastion cities, are susceptible to strange weather patterns caused by climate change.
The synergy was the outcome of the monsoon, tidal interplay, drainage being mismanaged, and urban encroachment.
Kolkata faces the double challenge of having to cope with the present destruction as well as preparing for the distant future. It is difficult to picture what would be the case if Durga Puja was not held but the truth of the matter is that not only must Kolkata survive, it also needs to transform, adapt, and learn.
