Durga Puja At Risk: Kolkata Floods And Electrocution Deaths Disrupt Travel And Festival Plans

Published on September 23, 2025

By: Paramita Sarkar

As Kolkata braces for nan highly anticipated Durga Puja festivities, a devastating bid of downpours has thrown nan metropolis into turmoil, pinch deadly consequences. At slightest 5 lives person been claimed by electrocution owed to unrecorded wires amidst waterlogged streets, while terrible flooding has led to disruptions crossed carrier networks. Metro services are suspended, trains cancelled aliases delayed, and flights person faced important delays, hampering nan recreation plans of galore visitors and locals alike. With Durga Puja preparations successful afloat swing, this unforeseen chaos has travel astatine a captious moment, severely affecting nan city’s readiness for 1 of its astir cherished festivals.

What’s Happening successful Kolkata?

On September 23, Kolkata’s infrastructure took a awesome deed owed to an aggravated downpour, submerging ample parts of nan city, including Garia, Ballygunge, Kalighat, and MG Road. Waterlogging has caused postulation paralysis, pinch roads for illustration AJC Bose Road, DH Road, and Cathedral Road witnessing terrible flooding. Private autobus services person been reduced to 20% capacity, further exacerbating nan already challenging business for commuters.

The dense rainfall caused important disruptions astatine Kolkata’s railway stations arsenic well, affecting some suburban and definitive train services. Howrah and Sealdah divisions reported work delays, pinch immoderate trains short-terminated and others cancelled, including nan 13113 and 13177 definitive trains.

Flight disruptions are among nan astir important impacts of nan weather. Airlines specified arsenic IndiGo and SpiceJet person issued advisories for passengers. Travelers person been urged to cheque their formation position regularly done charismatic hose apps aliases websites earlier heading to nan airport. The rainfall has caused impermanent formation way diversions, and passengers are being advised to scheme other clip for travel, considering nan slow-moving postulation towards Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport.

Why is This Happening?

The ongoing rainfall successful Kolkata is owed to a low-pressure area complete nan Bay of Bengal, which is expected to persist until September 25. According to nan IMD’s latest update, nan rainfall is apt to proceed crossed Gangetic West Bengal and parts of neighboring states specified arsenic Odisha and Jharkhand. The low-pressure strategy is causing wide precipitation and stormy conditions crossed nan region, including Kolkata.

As of now, nary formation cancellations person been reported, but delays and diversions are apt to persist, fixed nan terrible upwind conditions. The city’s crushed services, including some airdrome and railway stations, are moving to clear nan affected areas, but location is nary estimate yet for erstwhile afloat operations will resume.

How Are nan Authorities Responding?

The IMD has predicted mean to dense rainfall for respective much days, advising residents and travelers to workout caution. Local authorities, including Kolkata’s civic agencies, nan railways, and metro services, are actively engaged successful water-pumping operations to alleviate nan flooding. Additionally, nan Kolkata Metro work has been temporarily suspended betwixt Shahid Khudiram and Maidan stations, pinch truncated services moving betwixt Dakshineswar and Maidan.

At nan airport, IndiGo has advised passengers to let for other clip erstwhile heading to nan airdrome owed to nan slow-moving postulation caused by waterlogged routes. The hose has assured travelers that teams are actively moving to minimize disruptions and supply assistance. Similarly, different airlines, specified arsenic SpiceJet, person echoed these warnings.

What Should Passengers Do?

Passengers flying retired of Kolkata should enactment updated connected nan latest upwind conditions and formation status. Given nan existent unpredictability, it is powerfully advised to cheque real-time updates connected formation position via nan airline’s app aliases website. Authorities urge avoiding low-lying areas prone to flooding and to workout be aware while walking successful affected zones.

Travelers are besides urged to let further clip for check-in and airdrome information processes, arsenic accrued ft postulation whitethorn lead to longer waiting times. Airport authorities person deployed other unit to assistance passengers successful these challenging circumstances.

What’s Next for Kolkata?

The dense rainfall is expected to proceed for respective much days arsenic nan low-pressure area complete nan Bay of Bengal persists. The IMD has issued alerts for localized dense rainfall and thunderstorms, extending until September 27. While Kolkata’s carrier services and airdrome operations are moving to recover, passengers are advised to stay vigilant and proactive erstwhile readying their journeys.

Kolkata’s residents person been advised to debar walking during nan heaviest rainfall and to enactment informed done authorities updates, arsenic section authorities proceed to show nan situation. The authorities government has issued information guidelines for those surviving successful flood-prone areas, urging them to move to higher crushed if necessary.

How This Affects Tourists and Travel Plans

The timing of this terrible upwind couldn’t person been worse, pinch Durga Puja — 1 of Kolkata’s astir important festivals — conscionable astir nan corner. The rainfall and flooding person severely hampered nan city’s preparations for nan expansive celebrations, pinch galore pandals (temporary shrines) and processions being affected. The ongoing recreation disruptions are expected to effect nan travel of devotees and tourists, perchance diminishing nan festive atmosphere. Despite nan ongoing efforts of authorities to reconstruct order, nan effect connected Durga Puja celebrations and related recreation plans is apt to beryllium significant, leaving nan metropolis facing an uncertain vacation season.