Kolkata woke up to a city under siege on September 23 as relentless overnight rains inundated streets, leaving several neighbourhoods waist-deep in water and prompting the state government to shut all schools on September 24 and 25.

West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu announced that all government-run educational institutions would remain closed for two days to safeguard students from accidents on waterlogged roads. Teachers and non-teaching staff have been instructed to work from home to complete pending academic tasks ahead of the upcoming Durga Puja holidays.

“In keeping with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s advice to offer relief to our students and pre-empt accidents, it has been decided to keep all educational institutions closed on September 24 and 25,” Basu wrote on X, citing the ‘unprecedented calamity-like situation’ across the state.

The city’s worst-hit areas include Lake Market, Rashbehari, Thanthania, Patuli, Santoshpur Avenue, Park Circus, Nagerbazar, and Bosepukur Talbagan, where water levels rose dramatically after nearly five hours of continuous rainfall. At least two fatalities have been reported in rain-related incidents, and Durga Puja pandals in Bosepukur Talbagan were submerged.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) attributed the downpour to a low-pressure system over the northeast Bay of Bengal and issued a yellow alert across multiple districts, including Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly, North 24 Parganas, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, Purba and Paschim Bardhaman, Murshidabad, and Nadia. Residents are warned of heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds until September 26.

Meanwhile, in Assam, schools and colleges observed closures on September 23 to mark the funeral of singer Zubeen Garg. The state government ordered a halt to half-yearly examinations originally scheduled for September 20, with Education Minister Ranoj Pegu directing officials to reschedule them following the funeral proceedings.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed that the funeral would be simple and dignified, with limited vehicles in the procession accompanying Garg’s mortal remains.