What Happened on September 23
At about midnight on September 23, 2025, a massive weather system stalled over Kolkata. Within six hours, the city received the equivalent of an entire year’s rain in many parts. The Indian Meteorological Department logged 332 mm in Garia Kamdahari, while Jodhpur Park, Kalighat and Topsia all saw close to 300 mm. Even the northern area of Thantania recorded nearly 200 mm.
Those numbers turned streets into rivers. Water rose fast enough to submerge a standard sedan, forcing residents to wade through chest‑deep currents just to get home. Social media feeds were flooded with videos of people carrying buckets, children in raincoats splashing between potholes, and traffic lights blinking uselessly under a sheet of water.
The flood was made worse by a decision to keep the lock gates on the Hooghly River shut. Authorities had closed them to keep a high tide from pushing water inland, but the timing coincided with the peak of the rainfall. With the gates closed, water had nowhere to go, causing ponds, lakes and drains to overflow in a classic case of urban flash‑flooding.
Tragically, the rising water mixed with the city’s electrical wiring, leading to a string of electrocution deaths. Reports from Gariahat, Garfa, Ekbalpur, Beniapukur, Shakespeare Sarani, Netaji Nagar, Haridevpur and Behala put the death toll between eight and twelve. Thirty more people were injured and at least two remained missing as rescue teams combed through submerged neighborhoods.
Transportation ground to a halt. More than 90 flights scheduled to depart from Netaji Subhas International Airport were cancelled, and a slew of delays added to the chaos. Buses, trams and the metro suspended services city‑wide, leaving commuters stranded on wet sidewalks. The timing was especially damaging because Kolkata was gearing up for Durga Puja, a massive cultural festival that draws visitors from across the country.
Aftermath and Lessons
In response, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation announced an immediate holiday for all schools and colleges, extending the break until at least Friday. Workers were deployed to pump water from the worst‑hit streets, but the sheer volume meant progress was slow and visible water levels remained high throughout the next day.
Meteorologists explained that the storm was not a classic cloudburst. Instead of towering cumulonimbus clouds that roar and dump rain in minutes, the system was a low‑level convergence of moisture. Clouds sat between five and seven kilometres above the ground and stayed put, releasing rain steadily over a prolonged period.
Forecasters warned that while the next 24 hours would likely bring only light showers, another low‑pressure area could develop over the Bay of Bengal later in the week. That prospect kept emergency services on alert, fearing a repeat of the recent disaster.
The event laid bare the vulnerability of Kolkata’s aging drainage network. Urban planners and climate experts point to the need for larger storm‑water tunnels, green spaces that can absorb runoff and smarter zoning that keeps critical infrastructure out of flood‑prone zones. Residents have also started demanding better early‑warning systems, noting that many only learned of the severity when water was already lapping at doorsteps.
Beyond the infrastructure angle, the flood highlighted social inequities. Low‑income neighborhoods, often built on reclaimed land, suffered the deepest water and longest recovery times. Many families lost essential belongings, and the disruption to daily life meant lost wages and school days for children.
While the city works to clear debris and restore power, the scars of the disaster remain. Neighborhoods like Behala and Garfa are still littered with sandbags and makeshift barriers erected by volunteers. The public’s reaction—ranging from angry tweets to solidarity chants—shows a community coping with loss while demanding change.
As the monsoon season continues, the memory of this event will likely shape policy discussions. The Kolkata flooding episode is already being cited in parliamentary debates over funding for climate‑resilient projects, and NGOs are mobilising to press for faster implementation of drainage upgrades.