This day marks the highest rainfall in the city in a day, when Calcutta was flooded following nearly 380mm of rain in 24 hours. The 1978 floods remain one of the worst disasters to strike Bengal in the recent decades.
Several places in Bengal were submerged for days, since the rains began on September 25. Bankura, Hooghly, Nadia, Midnapore and Murshidabad districts were among the worst affected areas, along with the city. According to an estimate 15,000 people had died in Midnapore. The state government claimed a much lower figure for the entire state. More than a crore of lives were affected. Many people starved.
The water measured up to 18ft at certain places. Durgapur steel plant, IISCO in Burnpur and neighbouring coal mines were flooded.
Due to heavy rains, about 7.5lakh cusecs of water were flowing into the Damodar and the outflow was only 1 lakh cusecs. This led to the flooding of the five tributaries of the Damodar, submerging a huge area. The rains continued for a few days. The floods were followed by an outbreak of diseases.