‘Kolkata Is Drowning’: BJP, TMC Spar Over Severe Waterlogging In City 5 Days Before Durga Puja

Last Updated:September 23, 2025, 20:59 is

The BJP and TMC sparred over waterlogging in Kolkata following heavy rain in the city and related death incidents. The TMC accused the BJP of spreading propaganda.

Kolkata: Commuters make their way through a waterlogged road following rain (Photo: PTI)

Kolkata’s devastating overnight rain that killed at least 10 people and left large parts of the city inundated on Tuesday sparked a political slugfest on social media between the BJP and the ruling TMC, with leaders trading accusations over mismanagement and responsibility.

While the BJP posted pictures and videos of waterlogged streets and accused the TMC-run Kolkata Municipal Corporation of indulging in corruption, the ruling party slammed the BJP for “weaponising pain to spread hate”.

While condoling the deaths, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the Centre of “slashing state funds through GST”, and maintained that the state coffers were getting depleted because of funds that are being utilised to deal with such calamities.

Calling it a “man-made deluge of epic proportions, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya said the condition of the city was a “TMC-made catastrophe”. He accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim, who is also the municipal affairs and urban development minister in the West Bengal government, of “criminal negligence and breathtaking apathy”.

“KOLKATA IS DROWNING. Eight people have been electrocuted to death as per details so far. Let us be crystal clear: this is not a natural disaster. This is a TMC-MADE CATASTROPHE — a direct result of the criminal negligence and breathtaking apathy of Mamata Banerjee and Firhad Hakim,” Malviya said in a post on X.

He claimed that the MeT had warned the state government of incessant rainfall during Durga Puja a month ago, but this was met with “deafening silence”. He alleged that this was due to the TMC’s corruption, especially under Hakim’s watch.

“The Alipore MET Dept issued a warning A MONTH AGO about incessant rainfall during Pujas. One month! Their response? Absolute, deafening silence. No plans. No preparation. They just sat back and let the waters rise. This isn’t just a governance failure; it’s a deliberate betrayal of every single person in this city. Why does the city turn into a cesspool after every shower? Because TMC’s “development” model is built on a foundation of CUT-MONEY and CORRUPTION. Under Firhad Hakim’s watch, Kolkata’s destruction has been systematic: Illegal Pond-Filling: Natural reservoirs, the city’s only defence, have been systematically devoured by TMC-backed syndicates for illegal constructions; Unauthorised Concrete Jungles: From illegal high-rises to sprawling settlements like Gulsan Colony, water bodies and green spaces have been choked to death; Drains that Flow with Corruption: The drainage system hasn’t been upgraded; it’s just another pipeline for siphoning off public funds into the pockets of the corrupt,” he wrote on X.

Suggesting a communal angle to the city’s breakdown just days before Durga Puja, the BJP leader further said Mamata Banerjee has turned Kolkata into a “crime scene” and accused the TMC of “trying to restrict Hindu festivals” and making a “calculated assault to stop Bengalis from celebrating their beloved Durga Puja”.

“While the TMC’s cronies profit from this urban loot, Kolkata is left defenceless, gasping for air. This isn’t a city anymore; Mamata Banerjee has turned it into a CRIME SCENE. And the result of this criminal enterprise? A city PARALYZED and heartbroken just days before Durga Puja. But after years of TMC trying to restrict Hindu festivals, one must ask: is this just an “inconvenience,” or is it another calculated assault to stop Bengalis from celebrating their beloved Durga Puja? Public Transport: DESTROYED Food and Essentials: STALLED Business Hubs: DROWNED” he said. “The dreams of thousands of small traders have been washed away, with CRORES in goods lost forever. This is the tragic reality of Mamata’s promise to make Kolkata like London — a hollowed-out, flooded shell where citizens pay the ultimate price for corruption. This is a MAN-MADE DELUGE of epic proportions.”

In another post on X, the West Bengal BJP accused the TMC of causing a “breakdown of civil order”. ” See the condition of Kolkata around Science City. This is one of the state’s highly acclaimed and posh regions that houses a few organizations. If such is the condition of civil lives, how can anyone think about living a sustainable life in Kolkata? How can any organization further have the intent to invest? This is a breakdown of civil order,” it said.

Leader of Opposition Sup Adhikari slammed the state and municipal authorities over the rain-related deaths in the city. He shared a video of bodies floating on streets amid heavy waterlogging, while locals and authorities could be seen shifting a corpse on a bus.

“Death procession in the waterlogged city!!! Corpses are floating in the water; seeing this scene early in the morning dampens the mood. But who is responsible for this plight?” Adhikari asked on X. “With just one night’s rain, Kolkata-Salt Lake is submerged! The city is flooded, residents are in distress, and office commuters face extreme hardship.”

“In an era when technology is so advanced that we can predict when it will rain and how much, the inefficiency and indifference of the mayors of Kolkata and Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation force the city’s residents to bear the consequences. They have learned nothing from past experiences, and the same scenario repeats year after year!” he wrote.

“This is not just your failure; it is a crime, and those responsible should be identified and appropriately punished,” he mentioned in the X post.

BJP West Bengal further highlighted the plight of residents in flooded areas.

“This is the condition of Maniktala! Durga Pujo celebrations are starting this week. Yet, due to Kolkata’s extremely poor drainage system, Puja pandals are submerged under water,” the party wrote on X, sharing a video of flooded streets in Kolkata.

Another X post by the party showed waterlogging near Science City, a posh locality.

“See the condition of Kolkata around Science City. This is one of the state’s highly acclaimed and posh regions that houses a few organizations,” the BJP’s West Bengal unit wrote in the social media post.

“If such is the condition of civil lives, how can anyone think about living a sustainable life in Kolkata? How can any organization further have the intent to invest? This is a breakdown of civil order,” it added.

TMC ACCUSES BJP OF SPREADING HATRED

Responding to the saffron party, the ruling TMC rejected its allegations and blamed the unprecedented rainfall for the flooding.

In an X post, West Bengal minister Chandrima Bhattacharya mentioned, “Yesterday, Kolkata faced the fury of a rare cloudburst. Nearly 300 mm of rain fell within hours, a scale that overwhelms any city, no matter its infrastructure.”

“Scientists have said the same in Mumbai 2005, Chennai 2015, Delhi 2023, no city escapes when the skies open without pause. Yet what does BJP do? They ignore science, they ignore compassion, they ignore climate realities,” she mentioned.

“Their only obsession is to weaponise pain and spread hate. They think people cannot tell the difference between a natural calamity and their propaganda. But Bengal can,” she added.

KOLKATA REELS UNDER HEAVY RAIN

Torrential overnight rain left Kolkata paralysed on Tuesday, killing at least eight people due to electrocution, as the city was preparing for its biggest festival, Durga Puja, which will begin later this week.

The heavy downpour brought the metropolis to a grinding halt as large swathes were submerged, transport services were crippled, and traffic movement was thrown out of gear.

Across the city, vehicles lay stranded on arterial roads, commuters waded through waist-deep water at several intersections, and Metro services were suspended on a long stretch of the Blue Line.

Traffic movement was severely affected at key intersections such as Park Circus, Gariahat, Behala and College Street, while long snarls were reported on EM Bypass, AJC Bose Road and Central Avenue. Several smaller lanes in south and central Kolkata were completely cut off.

ALSO READ | Kolkata Rain: Train, Metro Services Disrupted Due To Downpour; Check Status, Roads To Avoid

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said a low-pressure area over the northeast Bay of Bengal was likely to bring more heavy rain in several south Bengal districts.

The intensity of the downpour was higher in the southern and eastern parts of Kolkata, the KMC said. Wheat Kamdahari recorded 332 mm of rainfall in just a few hours, followed by Jodhpur Park (285 mm), Kalighat (280 mm), Topsia (275 mm) and Ballygunge (264 mm). Thantania in north Kolkata received 195 mm.

And a sarothra

Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.

Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.

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