FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 16 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA LC | NEW DELHI WORLD NATION Assam lays its heart-throb Zubeen Garg to rest Page 13 France recognises Palestinian statehood at UN meeting Page 11 Nine dead as torrential rain paralyses Kolkata STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Kolkata, 23 September T orrential rains overnight paralyzed Kolkata on Tuesday, killing at least nine people through electrocution and leaving much of the metropolis submerged as transport services collapsed and daily life ground to a halt just days ahead of the city’s biggest festival, Durga Puja. Kolkata Mayor and Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim said canals and rivers in and around the city were full, hampering drainage efforts. “Every time water is pumped out, more flows back in,” he said. “High tide at 1.30 p.m. may worsen the situation. Relief is likely only late at night.” Across the metropolis, arterial roads resembled rivers. Vehicles were stranded and commuters A taxi navigates a waterlogged road after heavy rainfall in Kolkata on Tuesday. BISWAJIT GHOSHAL waded through waist-deep water at key intersections including Park Circus, Gariahat, Behala and College Street. Long traffic snarls were reported on EM Bypass, AJC Bose Road and Central Avenue. Smaller lanes in south and central Kolkata were completely cut off. Buses broke down mid-route while app-based cabs stayed off the roads or charged exorbitant fares. Air traffic at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport was severely hit as 55 flights, including 28 arrivals and 27 departures, were cancelled between midnight and 1 p.m., officials said. The affected flights included services to and from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Imphal, and international destinations such as Dubai and Bangkok. Airport authorities used at least seven pumps to clear the water from the airport complex. Metro services were suspended between Shahid Khudiram and Maidan stations after water inundated tracks, with truncated operations running from Dakshineswar to Maidan. Eastern Railway halted operations on the Sealdah South section due to waterlogged tracks, while skeletal services ran on the North and Main sections. Trains from Howrah and Kolkata terminals were partially affected, and Circular Railway services were suspended after waterlogging at Chitpur yard. Govt schools, offices closed for next two days STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Kolkata, 23 September In the wake of the massive flooding and disruption to life in the city following heavy rain on Monday night, and in view of the forecast for more rain in the coming days, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday announced the closure of government educational institutions for the next two days, and urged ICSE- and CBSE-affiliated private schools to stay closed as well. She also urged all universities to close for two days and conduct online classes instead. Miss Banerjee also announced that state government offices would remain closed for two days and urged private offices to start work from home. State education minister Bratya Basu later issued a notification announcing closure of all state educational institutions on 24 and 25 September due to inclement weather conditions. On the deaths of some nine people due to electrocution, Miss Banerjee put the blame squarely on the private power company CESC and said that she spoke with CESC chairman Sanjiv Goenka and asked him to give a job to one of the next of kin of those killed due to electrocution and provide compensation to them. “The state government will look after the families but I expect that the CESC to give compensation of Rs 5 lakhs to the next of kin of the dead. I know that money cannot bring back their lives and the loss to the family cannot be Trump accuses India, China of funding Russia’s war in Ukraine STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 23 September Addressing the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump used the global stage to accuse India and China of enabling Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, citing continued purchases of Russian oil as a key source of funding for the conflict. He also criticised NATO countries for not taking stronger action. “China and India are the primary funders of the ongoing war by continuing to purchase Russian oil. But inexcusably, even NATO countries have not cut off much Russian energy and energy products. As you know, I found this out about two weeks ago, and I wasn’t happy. They’re funding the war against themselves,” Mr Trump said. He said that the United States is prepared to impose a new round of tariffs on Russia, urging European allies to join in. “In the event that Russia is not ready to make a deal to end the war, the United States is fully prepared to impose a very strong round of powerful tariffs, which would stop the bloodshed, I believe, very quickly. For those tariffs to be effective, European nations ~ all of you gathered here right now ~ would have to join us in adopting the exact same measures,” he said. Mr Trump also delivered a sharp critique of the United Nations, calling the global body ineffective, stating that “empty words don’t solve wars.” He claimed he had personally ended seven wars during his presidency, including one between India and Pakistan, within a span of seven months ~ which he argued should have been the responsibility of the UN. “I ended seven wars. No president or prime minister, and for that matter, no other country, has ever done anything close to that. I did it in just seven months. It’s never happened before. I’m very honoured to have done it. It’s too bad that I had to do these things instead of the United Nations doing them,” Mr Trump said. repaired,” she said. She said because of high tide the accumulated water in the city could not be cleared fast. “Once the high tide recedes the accumulated water will be cleared. There is a possibility of high tide again tomorrow and some areas surrounding Kalighat may be affected. Natural calamity has become a global phenomena. This year the puja is held early and the city is badly hit by the rain.” She said all senior officers are working round the clock to monitor the situation. She urged the Farakka Barrage authorities to conduct dredging operation. Nabanna has opened a control room and issued a toll-free number to take distress calls. The control room numbers are: (033) 2214 3526, (033) 2253-5185 and toll-free numbers are 8697981070 and 1070. • More reports: Pgs 2,3, 4 Trump admin proposes H-1B rule changes STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 23 September Days after US President Donald Trump announced a major hike in H-1B visa fees, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed amendments to the regulations governing the issuance of work visas. According to reports, the DHS plans to replace the existing lottery system with a "weighted selection process that would generally favor the allocation of H-1B visas to higher-skilled and higher-paid workers, while maintaining opportunities for employers to hire at all wage levels." The H-1B programme, used by US companies to hire skilled tech workers ~ mostly from India ~ is capped at 85,000 new visas annually. Last week, Mr Trump signed a proclamation introducing a $100,000 fee for each new H1-B visa application. | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR | Wednesday, 24 September 2025