Kolkata rain disrupted shopping districts, street vending and Durga Puja preparations on Tuesday evening, leaving traders, idol-makers and organisers concerned about further showers just days before Mahalaya. The intense thundershower lasted about an hour in parts of the city, forcing shoppers and hawkers to take cover as busy markets including Gariahat, Hatibagan and New Market emptied rapidly.
Alipore recorded 5.9 mm of rainfall on Tuesday, according to the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Kolkata. H R Biswas, head of the centre, said the city could receive scattered light rain on Wednesday, with the possibility of enhanced showers on Thursday. He added that the following days were expected to be mainly dry.
Biswas attributed the sharp downpour to unstable conditions created by the interaction of dry and moist winds during the retreating phase of the monsoon. Local heating can trigger sudden thunderstorms during this period, he said. On speculation about a low-pressure area developing over the Bay of Bengal in the second week of October, RMC officials said it was too early to assess its impact on Durga Puja. The broad two-week outlook indicates the possibility of a cyclonic circulation or low-pressure area over the southern Bay of Bengal, but Biswas said any such system was unlikely to have a major effect on the region.
The immediate disruption is significant for Kolkata’s seasonal retail economy. Debraj Ghosh, a hawkers’ union leader in Gariahat, said traders make nearly 40% of their annual business during the run-up to Durga Puja and that weather-related interruptions can cause substantial losses. Ashok Gupta, president of the SS Hogg Market Traders Association, said shopping momentum had picked up late this year and traders had hoped it would continue without interruption from rain.
The showers have also affected work at several puja grounds. Organisers at Maddox Square and Bagbazar Sarbojanin said construction activity had already been hit. Gautam Neogi of Bagbazar Sarbojanin said work had accelerated during the previous three relatively dry days, but Tuesday evening’s rain had renewed concerns. The fairground at Bagbazar was described by organisers as among the worst affected.
At Ballygunge Puja Samity, which organises the Maddox Square Puja, trucks carrying earth and sand have been used to raise the ground. Organisers have also installed wooden platforms for the entry and exit of visitors. Ranajit Chakraborty said the measures were intended to help manage movement around the pandal if the ground remained wet. Anjan Ukil, secretary of Forum for Durgotsav and Ballygunge Cultural, said rain had affected paintwork and that organisers would need to improvise if wet conditions continued.
In Kumartuli, where many of the city’s idols are made, potters said most idols were ready but some painting remained. Idol-maker Kartik Pal said persistent rain would make it difficult for paint to dry. Several makers have begun covering idols with plastic sheets before delivery. Bikash Pal described the additional wrapping as necessary protection against the weather.
For the city’s markets and puja grounds, the next operational milestone is the drying of roads, fairgrounds and unfinished work before the festival begins. The RMC’s immediate forecast calls for scattered rain on Wednesday and potentially stronger showers on Thursday, followed by mainly dry conditions.
