With Kolkata floods leaving several vehicles submerged and severely damaged, one question keeps many car owners awake at night — will insurance cover the cost of repair?
According to Sanjay Jhawar, a proprietor at Kolkata-based Kavya Insurance Services, the short answer is yes. But there is a catch.
“Any damages caused by natural destruction — flooding, waterlogging, or even earthquakes—are covered. The only condition is that you must not attempt to restart or move the car once it has been submerged. The vehicle has to be towed directly to the workshop,” he explained.
Scenes at Ballygunge and other south Kolkata localities on Wednesday were nightmarish for car owners. Vehicles were seen marooned in water up to the windshield, while residents trudged through the flooded lanes with children in arms, suitcases balanced overhead, and bicycles wading past stalled sedans and SUVs.
If your car got damaged in the Kolkata floods, here’s what you need to know.
Types of policies
A normal package policy covers most damage, but may only settle 60-70 per cent of waterlogging-related repairs. For full coverage — including engine protection — owners need a package policy with bumper-to-bumper add-ons.
“If water enters the engine of newer BS6 cars and causes hydrostatic damage, only the enhanced package with engine protection ensures the insurance company pays the full amount,” said Jhawar.
The claim process
Owners must use roadside assistance to send the car to an authorised workshop, where the insurance team will log the claim
The first step is towing. “You cannot turn the ignition key, even if the car seems fine. Once you do, the insurance company’s liability ends,” Jhawar cautioned.
Owners must use roadside assistance to send the car to an authorised workshop, where the insurance team will log the claim. The car is first cleaned, fluids like engine oil and coolant are replaced, and if required, deeper repairs such as engine work are undertaken.
For electric vehicles, too, coverage applies. “If the battery indicator lights up due to waterlogging, the company covers replacement or repair,” Jhawar confirmed.
Swift turnaround for some, delays for others
Jhawar, who inspected 12 vehicles in a single day, said that only three of them suffered serious engine damage. “The rest were revived after cleaning, fluid replacement and servicing,” he said.
Many of those cars were cleared quickly and returned to their owners within a day. Others, however, had to wait longer as workshops struggled to cope with the sudden surge. “Each workshop may handle 10 cars, but 15-20 arrive in a single day. That’s why the backlog builds up. Still, once a car enters the system, servicing continues until it is restored,” he explained.