Unprecedented downpour paralyses Kolkata, 8 dead

The heaviest overnight rainfall in years wreaked havoc across Kolkata, submerging vast areas, bringing public life to a standstill, and claiming at least eight lives through electrocution. Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Tuesday, announced jobs for the families of the deceased and urged the private power utility CESC to provide compensation to them.

- OUR CORRESPONDENT

The deluge, measuring 251.4 mm in less than 24 hours, was reportedly the highest since 1986 and the sixth-highest single-day rainfall in the past 137 years, surpassed only by 369.6 mm in 1978, 253 mm in 1888, and 259.5 mm in 1986.

It turned arterial roads into rivers, snapping Metro and train services, and throwing air travel into disarray as the city gasped for normalcy ahead of Bengal’s biggest festival, Durga Puja, next week.

Expressing grief over the deaths caused by electrocution, Chief Minister Mamata Baner-jee described the downpour as “unprecedented” and criticised the inadequate dredging of the Farakka Barrage as well as lapses by CESC.

According to sources, Banerjee contacted Sanjiv Goenka, Chairman of the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, urging him to provide compensation to the families of the deceased.

She also announced a twoday closure of educational institutions and cancelled the inauguration of Kolkata Puja pandals.