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With lone days near for Durga Puja festivities, unprecedented rainfall and waterlogging successful Kolkata connected Tuesday (September 23, 2025) has near artists and puja organisers grappling with damaged pandals and ruined plans.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee cancelled her Durga Puja pandal inauguration programmes for the day, and asked radical to stay alert.
Kolkata rains: Follow highlights, updates connected September 23, 2025
Pandals successful southbound Kolkata were the worst deed arsenic it rained much heavy successful these parts of the city. Several pandals were washed away, and galore others were submerged nether h2o aft incessant rainfall.
Kolkata received 247.5 mm rainfall successful the past 24 hours, starring to waterlogging successful respective neighbourhoods, according to information from the India Metereological Department (IMD).
The IMD has warned that rains whitethorn proceed for the adjacent fewer days owed to the enactment of a debased unit country implicit the Bay of Bengal.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation confirmed that the Garia Kamdahari country recorded 332 mm of rainfall wrong a fewer hours, portion Jodhpur Park recorded 285 mm of rain, Kalighat 280 mm, Topsia 275 mm, and Ballygunge 264 mm rainfall successful this time.
At slightest 9 radical tragically died of electrocution successful waterlogged areas of the city.
Blow to organisers
With expansive preparations underway for Durga Puja, which is conscionable 3 days away, organisers person taken a large deed to some their artworks and finances.
“Water gushed successful from each sides. Now that the rainfall has stopped, we are trying our champion to bash immoderate repair enactment arsenic soon arsenic possible. But we realised 1 happening — nary 1 tin combat nature,” Saswata Basu, caput of the Hatibagan Sarbojanin Durgotsav Committee told The Hindu connected Tuesday. This year, the Hatibagan committee collaborated with French and Bengali artists to make the puja pandal that has been damaged heavy by the rain.
The sculptors of Kumartuli astatine Bagh Bazaar person been gravely affected. “Rainwater flowed present similar a flood. We looked astatine it helplessly passim the night. Over 60 shops of artists person been affected. We are removing h2o with buckets. We person nary different help,” Bankim Paul, a seasoned sculptor of Durga idols, said.
The aged quarters of Kumartuli, successful Sobhabajar, did not endure large harm arsenic it’s connected higher ground. However, with lone two-three days near to present the idols, labourers are struggling to transportation hundreds of kilos of value connected their backs, and wade done knee-deep h2o crossed the city.
“Many person fallen ill. We besides person to bash each the decorations aft we instrumentality the idols to the pandal. How volition we bash that successful this rain?” Mr. Paul said.
War of words
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been inaugurating Durga Puja pandals since September 20, but she suspended her programme owed to waterlogging.
“I americium not going anyplace to inaugurate pujas successful Kolkata today. I volition inaugurate pujas successful the territory virtually. Everyone needs to beryllium cautious for the adjacent fewer days,” Ms. Banerjee said successful a connection connected Tuesday afternoon.
She expressed interest implicit specified a calamity unfolding rdays earlier Durga Puja, the biggest festival of the Bengali community. Other governmental parties should not to “play politics” implicit a earthy calamity, Ms. Banerjee said.
The Chief Minister inaugurated aggregate pujas successful the districts via video league connected Tuesday evening. “My wishes for the Durga Puja. We indispensable invited Goddess Durga contempt each the problems. We indispensable determination forward,” Ms. Banerjee said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sharply criticised the West Bengal CM connected societal media level X. “Durga Pujo celebrations are starting this week. Yet, owed to Kolkata’s highly mediocre drainage system, Puja pandals are submerged nether water. Years of anarchy nether the CPM [Communist Party of India-Marxist] and astir 15 years of corruption successful the Kolkata Municipal Corporation nether TMC [the ruling Trinamool Congress] person forced Bengalis to endure adjacent during their biggest festival, Durga Puja,” the BJP said connected its X handle.
