Waterlogging destroys books worth crores at College Street; Sellers drying rare collections in sunlight

Kolkata, after grappling with widespread waterlogging and several rain-related deaths, is now witnessing a different kind of tragedy in its iconic College Street, or "Boi Para." The area, a haven for book lovers, was submerged in knee-deep to waist-deep water on Tuesday, causing catastrophic damage to books worth crores of rupees. While the city's main roads are slowly returning to normalcy, the losses faced by booksellers are immense and, in some cases, irreplaceable.

The College Street area, along with neighboring Thanthania and Amherst Street, is known to flood even during moderate rain. The relentless and "unprecedented" downpour on Tuesday proved to be far more damaging than previous incidents, including Cyclone Amphan. The water had no place to recede, turning the narrow lanes and book-lined sidewalks into a river. Books, both new and old, were seen floating in the murky water, a heart-wrenching sight for the booksellers and the city's literary community.

With the water slowly receding on Wednesday morning, the booksellers have begun the difficult and emotional process of salvaging what little they can. They are seen painstakingly laying out the soaked books on bamboo frames and on the pavement in a desperate attempt to dry them under the sun. However, the scale of the destruction is so vast that many believe it will be impossible to recover fully.

One bookseller recounted the devastating loss, stating that the situation was worse than the damage caused by Cyclone Amphan. "Books worth crores of rupees have been destroyed," he said, highlighting the financial ruin faced by the booksellers just before the crucial Durga Puja festive season, a period when their sales are at their peak.

The tragedy is not limited to financial losses. Many of the destroyed books were rare and old editions that are no longer in print. Another bookseller lamented, "Many old books are not available. If the buyers want them, we will have to Xerox them. Those books have been destroyed." The loss of these unique, old collections is a major blow to the city's intellectual and cultural heritage.

The booksellers now face an uphill battle to recover from this disaster. With the festive season just around the corner, they are uncertain about their future and are appealing for support from the government and the public to help them get back on their feet. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of urban infrastructure to extreme weather events and the need for better flood protection measures for such valuable cultural hubs.