Kolkata flooding: Mamata Banerjee’s politics drowns the city along with its people

In my recent visit to Kolkata, I witnessed a city that once prided itself on its rich culture and vibrant energy, now gasping for breath under water. The relentless overnight downpour, the heaviest in nearly 40 years, turned the “City of Joy” into a city of despair. The disaster unfolded at the peak of Durga Puja preparations, when Kolkata is usually lit up and alive with millions of people visiting pandals and celebrating Bengal’s biggest festival. Instead, this year, Kolkata’s streets resembled rivers, and its people were left stranded and hopeless.

The numbers speak for themselves. The India Meteorological Department (IMD)reported that Kolkata received 251.4 mm of rainfall in less than 24 hours, the highest since 1986. In southern areas like Garia, the downpour reached 332 mm, while th