7 die of electrocution as torrential rain paralyses Kolkata; Mamata blames dredging, CESC

Kolkata: Torrential overnight rain left Kolkata paralysed on Tuesday, killing at least seven people due to electrocution and bringing life in the metropolis to a grinding halt as large swathes were submerged, transport services crippled, and traffic movement thrown out of gear.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee described the downpour as "unprecedented", lashing out at poor dredging of the Farakka barrage and lapses by private power utility CESC, while appealing to people to stay indoors for their own safety.

"I have never seen rain like this. I feel so bad for the people who have lost their lives in the cloudburst. I heard 7–8 people have died due to electrocution by open or unattended wires. It is so unfortunate… Their families must all be given jobs by the CESC. I am saying this clearly. We will also do whatever is possible to help," Banerjee told a Bengali news channel.

Heavy overnight rains brought Kolkata to its knees on Tuesday as the city was preparing for its biggest festival, Durga Puja, which will begin later this week.

Squarely blaming the utility, she said, "Electricity is supplied by CESC, not us. It is their duty to ensure people do not suffer because of this. They will do business here, but not modernise here? They should send people to the field and fix this."

"Even our houses are submerged; we are all suffering. I am feeling so bad for the Pujo pandals as well. Schools have been asked to declare holidays and office-goers advised to stay home today and tomorrow," the chief minister said, adding she was in constant touch with the Mayor, Chief Secretary and police.

Those who lost their lives were identified as Firoz Ali Khan (50) of Beniapukur, Pranatosh Kundu (62) of Netaji Nagar, and Mumtaz Bibi (70) of Ekbalpur, besides an unidentified person in Gariahat.

Kolkata Mayor and state Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim said, "So far, we have received information of four deaths due to electrocution in different places in the city, but later official tallies placed the figure at seven. Hakim said that most parts of the city were waterlogged and teams of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) were working round the clock to drain out water.

He said KMC officers are working hard. But the canals and rivers are full of water and every time water is drained out, more is getting inside the city.

"We fear that the high tide which is around 1.30 PM today, may not help in our efforts to drain out the excessive water. It would be around 10 PM when the situation could be expected to improve," Hakim said.

Across the city, vehicles lay stranded on arterial roads, commuters waded through waist-deep water at several intersections, and Metro services were suspended on a long stretch of the Blue Line.

Traffic movement was severely affected at key intersections such as Park Circus, Gariahat, Behala and College Street, while long snarls were reported on EM Bypass, AJC Bose Road and Central Avenue. Several smaller lanes in south and central Kolkata were completely cut off.

Commuters complained of buses breaking down mid-way, while taxis and app cabs either stayed off the roads or charged exorbitant fares. Many schools declared a holiday as students and staff could not make their way through flooded streets. Calcutta University and Jadavpur University also suspended all academic activities for the day.

Office-goers faced severe hardships due to lack of public transport and traffic snarls. Train and Metro Railway services were badly hit. Significant waterlogging was reported in the mid-section of the Blue Line (Dakshineswar–Shahid Khudiram), particularly between Mahanayak Uttam Kumar and Rabindra Sarobar stations, prompting suspension of services on this stretch.

A Metro spokesperson said services were suspended between Shahid Khudiram and Maidan stations since morning hours. "Truncated services are being run between Dakshineswar and Maidan stations," the official said, adding that normal services were expected to resume soon.

Eastern Railway authorities said train movement in the Sealdah south section had been suspended owing to waterlogged tracks, while skeletal services were being run in the Sealdah north and main sections.

Trains to and from Howrah and Kolkata terminal stations were partially affected, while Circular Railway services were suspended due to waterlogging at Chitpur yard.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said a low-pressure area over the northeast Bay of Bengal was likely to bring more heavy rain in several south Bengal districts.

The intensity of the downpour was higher in the southern and eastern parts of Kolkata, the KMC said. Garia Kamdahari recorded 332 mm of rainfall in just a few hours, followed by Jodhpur Park (285 mm), Kalighat (280 mm), Topsia (275 mm) and Ballygunge (264 mm). Thantania in north Kolkata received 195 mm.

The weather office warned of heavy rainfall continuing in Purba and Paschim Medinipur, South 24 Parganas, Jhargram and Bankura districts till Wednesday. It added that another fresh low-pressure area is likely to form over the east-central and adjoining north Bay of Bengal around September 25.