KOLKATA WATERLOGGING: WHY DOES THE CITY FLOOD EVERY MONSOON?
A City’s Annual Battle With Rain, Drainage and Urban Planning
NG TV NEWS
Kolkata, September 2: Every monsoon, Kolkata faces the same familiar crisis—roads disappearing under water, traffic slowing to a crawl and residents struggling through flooded streets. The latest spell of heavy rain has once again exposed the question: why does a city with an extensive drainage and pumping network continue to face waterlogging?
On September 1, Kolkata recorded 93.6 mm of rain by 11:30 am, the heaviest 24-hour rainfall spell of the season at that point. Several parts of south Kolkata experienced significant waterlogging and traffic disruption.
The problem, however, is not simply the amount of rain.
AN AGING DRAINAGE NETWORK
According to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, significant portions of the city’s drainage infrastructure date back decades. The main sewer network includes around 180 km of century-old brick sewers, while much of the system was designed around a rainfall capacity of approximately 6 mm per hour. Heavy downpours can quickly overwhelm such infrastructure.
Silt accumulation is another major challenge. When drains and outfall canals lose carrying capacity, rainwater takes longer to leave the city. Old pumping equipment and maintenance issues add further pressure.
THE WETLANDS QUESTION
Kolkata’s natural geography once provided important buffers against flooding. Wetlands, canals and low-lying areas helped absorb and move excess water. Rapid urbanisation, construction and the loss or alteration of natural drainage channels have reduced that capacity.
The East Kolkata Wetlands remain particularly important as a natural water-management system. Their conservation is therefore not merely an environmental concern—it is directly connected to the city’s flood resilience.
IS THERE A PERMANENT SOLUTION?
Experts increasingly argue that Kolkata needs more than emergency pumping after every major shower. Regular desilting, modernisation of ageing infrastructure, protection of wetlands and canals, better waste management and coordinated urban planning are crucial.
The challenge is to ensure that Kolkata’s development does not come at the cost of the natural systems that help the city drain.
For residents, the annual question remains unchanged: Will the next monsoon bring another waterlogging crisis—or finally expose a long-term solution?
NG TV NEWS | KOLKATA DESK
