Record Rainfall Kills At Least 12 in Kolkata, Indicates Urgent Need for Infrastructure Overhaul

Heavy rainfall lashed Kolkata and surrounding areas ahead of its major festival, Durga Puja, dampening its preparations for the festival by flooding streets, disrupting transport and leaving residents stranded for hours, reported Reuters.

HR Biswas, the regional head of India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Kolkata told Reuters that most of the rain, as much as 251.6 mm fell during the early hours of September 24 and called it the heaviest in the city since 1988.

Reuters further reported that nine people died in Kolkata, with most of the deaths due electrocution, while two people drowned. The heavy rainfall damaged many pandals, temporary structures contructed with bamboo and other material for the festival and clay idols of the deities also suffered damage across the city.

Some of the roads were submerged under waist-deep water in some areas, stranding vehicles and forcing commuters to navigate through flooded streets.

The heavy rainfall also severely disrupted road, train and air traffic operations, several flights and trains were also reportedly cancelled. Power outages in multiple areas for hours further added to the residents’ woes.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted more rain in the state and eastern India over the next few days due to the formation of a low-pressure area over Bay of Bengal. The state government has directed schools and other educational institutions to be closed till September 25 before the holidays for the festival commence from September 26.
But the intense downpour revealed more serious, structural problems with the city's infrastructure, especially its antiquated drainage system.

Rainfall Tests City’s Infrastructure

Kolkata’s recent flooding amid record rainfall indicates the urgent need for improved urban resilience and infrastructure. Experts have raised concerns about how the city’s strained urban infrastructure due to rapid urbanisation and outdated drainage system originally designed for small residential buildings, which was built decades ago and not designed to handle such extreme rainfall, reported Indian Express.

Kolkata's construction, on the eastern side of the Hoogly, gradually slopes down towards the east leading to the fundamental problem that caused the recent chaos in Kolkata, as explained by urban designer Partha Pratim Das to The Indian Express. He further added that a "saucer effect" was produced by the topography and the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass's construction. As a result, the Bypass acted as a dam and ended up retaining rainwater in the central city.