As Kolkata was battered by its heaviest rainfall in nearly four decades earlier this week, several parts of the city were flooded, while there was also extensive damage to roads, houses, and shops. Among the worst-hit was the city’s iconic College Street market, where the deluge destroyed books worth several crores of rupees.
In just a few hours between late Monday and early Tuesday, the city received an extraordinary 251.4 mm of rain, overwhelming drainage systems and causing widespread flooding across major areas. At least 11 people also died in rain-related accidents.
Most College Street bookshops were inundated by floodwaters, leaving publishers and booksellers anxious about mounting financial losses. Traders estimate that books valued at Rs 2-3 crore have been lost, with many shops reporting total destruction of stock.
Tridib Chattopadhyay, secretary of the Publishers and Booksellers Guild, noted that around Rs 10-12 lakh worth of books in his own establishment were damaged, as there had been no prior warning of such extreme weather.
The timing of the disaster is especially difficult given the upcoming Durga Puja festival, a crucial sales period for booksellers.
Residents near College Street remarked that they have not seen rainfall of this intensity in recent memory, recalling floods during Cyclone Amphan in May 2020.
Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim indicated that it would take considerable time for floodwaters to recede, and there have already been multiple reports of electrocution-related fatalities in the aftermath.
The catastrophe has hit street-based booksellers especially hard. Unlike established shop owners, these booksellers operate without formal organisation and therefore are not eligible for any compensation. Many have lost their entire inventory with no support or recourse available.
Speaking to India Today, Sudipta Dey, owner of Deys’ Publishing, said, “Our organisation has suffered losses amounting to at least Rs 8 lakh, with more than 500 books damaged.Such an extensive destruction was never witnessed before and the final figures are still being calculated.”
Tridib Chattopadhyay, head of Patra Bharati and secretary of the Publishers and Booksellers Guild, said, “Books worth around Rs 10-12 lakh have been destroyed. There was no warning that the weather would turn this bad. As a result, the books were kept on the floor, and they all got soaked.”
“This is a huge loss right before Durga Puja. Overall in the book market, an estimated Rs 2 to 3 crore loss has been incurred. The most concerning part is, the unorganised booksellers on footpaths are worst hit and subject to no compensation since they do not operate under an umbrella organisation.”
Kolkata’s literary community is now faced with one of its most challenging periods in recent decades, as traders, publishers, and street vendors attempt to recover from this unforeseen disaster.
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Published By:
Karishma Saurabh Kalita
Published On:
Sep 25, 2025