State vs Discom Blame Game Over Electrocution Deaths During Kolkata Deluge

A day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused power utility CESC of negligence leading to electrocution deaths in Kolkata and nearby areas yesterday, the discom has disowned responsibility, saying that the deaths were unrelated to its network.

Kolkata woke up to a deluge last morning after heavy rain through the night. Many areas were waterlogged, over 100 flights were affected, and traffic was disrupted. Amid the calamity, 10 people died, most of them due to electrocution.

While the state government has blamed CESC -- Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation -- for the tragic deaths and said it must compensate the victims, the discom disagrees.

In a video statement, CESC spokesperson Avijit Ghosh said that eight electrocution deaths were reported in Kolkata and nearby areas yesterday. "We conducted a deep dive investigation into the deaths. Five of them were caused by faulty internal wiring at homes and a factory. Two deaths were caused when the victims touched street lamp posts that we don't own or maintain. One death occurred when a victim touched a traffic signal kiosk," he said.'

As a matter of abundant caution considering public safety, due to extreme water-logging as a result of incessant rainfall, supply to certain areas continues to be kept switched off proactively by us.

We shall be able to restore power only when we are informed by the appropriate… pic.twitter.com/hSuWa5Ex4i

— CESC Limited (@CESCLimited) September 23, 2025

"We are upset over the deaths. We will be alert and ensure such incidents do not happen," the CESC spokesperson said.

The discom also clarified in a social media post that it does not maintain street lights and traffic lights.

"As a matter of abundant caution considering public safety, due to extreme water-logging as a result of incessant rainfall, supply to certain areas continues to be kept switched off proactively by us. We shall be able to restore power only when we are informed by the appropriate authorities that the water has receded to safer levels," CESC said in a post on X yesterday.

"Kindly note that Street Light Poles and Traffic lights are not owned, maintained or managed by CESC. Our team is working round the clock, monitoring the situation and we are in touch with all appropriate authorities at all times. We are sorry for the inconvenience caused to you. Kindly bear with us. Please take care and continue to stay safe," it said.

CESC Limited is part of the RP Sanjiv Goenka Group led by billionaire Sanjiv Goenka, who also owns IPL cricket team Lucknow Super Giants. It supplies electricity to Kolkata and surrounding areas such as Howrah.

In a social media post yesterday, Chief Minister Banerjee had expressed her condolences to the families who lost their own "on account of the negligence of the CESC". "There can be no compensation for death and no alternative to life. Yet, we will ensure employment for one member of each of the victim families. I have asked the CESC to offer compensation as well. These families deserve this compensation, besides our heartfelt empathy," she said.

"Electricity is supplied by CESC, not us. It is their duty to ensure people do not suffer because of this. They will do business here, but will not modernise? They should send people to the field and fix this," she said later. Ms Banerjee also said in TV interviews that she had spoken to Mr Goenka about the deaths.