‘Corruption level is…’: Netizens fume as '5-hour' rain submerges Kolkata ahead of Durga Puja

Several key areas in Kolkata was inundated after seven hours of intense rainfall. Water entered residential areas and halted Durga Puja preparation.

Kolkata woke up to intense rainfall on Tuesday after almost seven hours of rain, which caused severe waterlogging in the city. Rainwater was seen entering residential areas, and people were wading in knee-deep water to reach their destination. Amid the crisis, netizens stormed social media with pictures and videos of waterlogging and water entering their homes. Several users blamed the drainage system and the Kolkata Municipality for poor urban planning.

Water enters residential areas

People make their way through a flooded road after heavy rainfall, in Kolkata on Tuesday, September 23(PTI)

By Tuesday morning, rainwater had entered buildings and residential complexes. The ground floor of houses in the Golf Green area was seen inundated with water. A social media user on X posted a video of water flooding his room with his things floating in the water. Along with the video he wrote, “Thanks to the beautiful Drainage System in the city of Joy”

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Market and shops in South Kolkata were closed following the waterlogging, and vehicles were crawling through water. North Kolkata recorded 200mm of rainfall on Tuesday morning, while South Kolkata experienced 180 mm of rainfall. Traffic movement was severely affected across most arterial roads, with vehicles stranded for hours in water at key intersections such as Park Circus, Gariahat, Behala, and College Street.

Durga Puja preparation halted

This comes as the city prepares for the festivities of Durga Puja Pandals across West Bengal were seen inundated in water, where organisers had to halt the preparations till the weather conditions improve. Tents and other materials were seen lying in rainwater in several areas.

Netizens reacted by posting videos of pandal material floating in rainwater. “Paying taxes at every step just to watch Durga pandals float in rain and drain water thanks to the Kolkata Municipality! The corruption level is unbelievable," one X user wrote.

People across social media posted about the severe waterlogging in Kolkata, calling it a flood-like situation in the city. Many schools have declared a holiday in the wake of very heavy downpour and waterlogged streets. Office-goers were having a tough time reaching their destinations because of a lack of public transport and traffic snarls.

Meanwhile, the metro services were also affected. Services on the Blue Line from Mahanayak Uttam Kimar and Rabindra Sarobar were suspended. The spokesperson said that the decision was taken in the interest of public safety after severe waterlogging.

The Met department has predicted heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms over several districts in the southern part of West Bengal till September 26. The intensity of rain was higher in the southern and eastern parts of the city, with Garia Kamdahari recording 332 mm of rain in just a few hours.