Incessant rain, waterlogging in Kolkata leaves Durga Puja pandals damaged, submerged in water

With only days left for Durga Puja festivities, unprecedented rain and waterlogging in Kolkata on Tuesday (September 23, 2025) has left 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 people to remain alert.

Kolkata rains: Follow highlights, updates on September 23, 2025

Pandals in south Kolkata were the worst hit as it rained more heavily in these parts of the city. Several pandals were washed away, and many others were submerged under water after incessant rainfall.

Kolkata received 247.5 mm rainfall in the past 24 hours, leading to waterlogging in several neighbourhoods, according to data from the India Metereological Department (IMD).

The IMD has warned that rains may continue for the next few days due to the formation of a low pressure area over the Bay of Bengal.

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation confirmed that the Garia Kamdahari area recorded 332 mm of rain within a few hours, while Jodhpur Park recorded 285 mm of rain, Kalighat 280 mm, Topsia 275 mm, and Ballygunge 264 mm rain in this time.

At least nine people tragically died of electrocution in waterlogged areas of the city.

Blow to organisers

With grand preparations underway for Durga Puja, which is just three days away, organisers have taken a major hit to both their artworks and finances.

“Water gushed in from all sides. Now that the rain has stopped, we are trying our best to do some repair work as soon as possible. But we realised one thing — no one can fight nature,” Saswata Basu, secretary of the Hatibagan Sarbojanin Durgotsav Committee told The Hindu on Tuesday. This year, the Hatibagan committee collaborated with French and Bengali artists to create the puja pandal that has been damaged heavily by the rain.

The sculptors of Kumartuli at Bagh Bazaar have been gravely affected. “Rainwater flowed here like a flood. We looked at it helplessly throughout the night. Over 60 shops of artists have been affected. We are removing water with buckets. We have no other help,” Bankim Paul, a veteran sculptor of Durga idols, said.

The old quarters of Kumartuli, in Sobhabajar, did not suffer major damage as it’s on higher ground. However, with only two-three days left to deliver the idols, labourers are struggling to carry hundreds of kilos of weight on their backs, and wade through knee-deep water across the city.

“Many have fallen ill. We also have to do all the decorations after we take the idols to the pandal. How will we do that in 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 due to waterlogging.

“I am not going anywhere to inaugurate pujas in Kolkata today. I will inaugurate pujas in the district virtually. Everyone needs to be careful for the next few days,” Ms. Banerjee said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon.

She expressed concern over such a calamity unfolding rdays before Durga Puja, the biggest festival of the Bengali community. Other political parties should not to “play politics” over a natural calamity, Ms. Banerjee said. 

The Chief Minister inaugurated multiple pujas in the districts via video conference on Tuesday evening. “My wishes for the Durga Puja. We must welcome Goddess Durga despite all the problems. We must move forward,” Ms. Banerjee said. 

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sharply criticised the West Bengal CM on social media platform X. “Durga Pujo celebrations are starting this week. Yet, due to Kolkata’s extremely poor drainage system, Puja pandals are submerged under water. Years of anarchy under the CPM [Communist Party of India-Marxist] and nearly 15 years of corruption in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation under TMC [the ruling Trinamool Congress] have forced Bengalis to suffer even during their biggest festival, Durga Puja,” the BJP said on its X handle.