In a chilling reminder of the climate crisis, Kolkata and adjacent regions witnessed the worst 24-hour downpour in over three decades, with 251.6 mm of rain inundating city streets, collapsing infrastructure, and claiming at least 12 lives. As the city scrambles to restore power, clear roads, and rescue stranded residents, the disaster lays bare the deadly consequences of ignoring climate risk. The flooding came just as festival preparations for Durga Puja were in full swing, shuttering streets, damaging pandals, and crippling transport. Urban design choices — flooring wetlands, encroaching on floodplains, ignoring drainage — make cities like Kolkata death traps in extreme weather. The state’s weak responsiveness and the central government’s neglect of climate infrastructure signal a system failing the people. As corporate interests push more destructive urban expansion, citizens pay the price in lives lost and homes shattered.
Kolkata’s Record Rainfall Kills 12, Warns of Urban Climate Collapse
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