Kolkata is gradually limping back to normalcy after a deluge of torrential rains that claimed 10 lives and paralyzed the city on Tuesday, but several neighborhoods remain inundated, hampering daily life. Particularly affected are Salt Lake (Bidhannagar) and pockets of north and central Kolkata, where waterlogging has forced vehicles to crawl and pedestrians to wade through flooded streets. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted mostly cloudy skies with light to moderate showers, thunder, and gusty winds over the next 24 hours, but heavy rainfall has been ruled out, offering some respite to the rain-battered metropolis.

Overnight pumping operations have begun draining low-lying areas, yet Bidhannagar residents continue to face severe disruptions. To prevent accidents amid poor visibility and slippery roads, the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation kept street lights off on Tuesday evening. The flooding has exacerbated challenges ahead of Durga Puja, Bengal's grandest festival, with arterial roads resembling rivers and public transport in disarray. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who postponed her Puja pandal inaugurations due to the weather, is slated to visit the marquees on Wednesday and inaugurate a new fire station in Kalighat, signaling a push to restore festive momentum.

The administration's top priority is clearing water bodies and reviving normalcy before the Puja season peaks, with officials monitoring the situation closely amid lingering rain threats in Kolkata and surrounding districts. Educational institutions remained shut on Tuesday, while air, rail, and road services were crippled, underscoring the strain on infrastructure. Restoration efforts are underway, but the scale of the deluge—equivalent to a month's rainfall in mere hours—has tested the city's preparedness, highlighting vulnerabilities in urban drainage systems amid climate change-induced extreme weather patterns.

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Tuesday's downpour, recording 251.4 mm in under 24 hours, marked the highest single-day rainfall since 1986 and the sixth-heaviest in 137 years, surpassed only by records like 369.6 mm in 1978 and 259.5 mm in 1986. Of the 10 fatalities, nine resulted from electrocution, a common hazard during monsoons in densely populated areas with exposed wiring. The heavy rains not only snapped Metro Rail and train services but also advanced state-declared Puja holidays, disrupting travel and commerce. As the city gasps for breath, experts call for long-term investments in resilient infrastructure to mitigate future "rain fury" episodes, ensuring safer festive celebrations and urban resilience.

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