By Avni Arya,Hridita Chatterjee

Copyright timesnownews

Kolkata Rain: Kolkata is dealing with very heavy rainfall, leaving Durga Puja pandals inundated and business owners counting their losses. In just five hours, the city recorded an extraordinary 300mm of rainfall, causing waterlogging across key areas and disrupting festivities. Mayor Firhad Hakim, who has been monitoring the situation from the control room, explained the unusual severity of the rainfall and its impact on the city’s drainage system. “I was born in Kolkata and grew up here but have never witnessed such rainfall over the years. I have read about Uttarakhand and Himachal witnessing such rainfall but this is the first time that Kolkata faced this. In five hours, 300mm of rainfall,” he said. Check Kolkata Rain Live Updates Here The heavy downpour, combined with a high tide, has created complications in draining water into the Ganga. “At this point, the water is backflowing when it’s been tried to be pumped out due to oceanic rise. So neither the lockgates nor the pumps are working. At around 1:30 we’re expecting a high tide, and once that passes, we assume the sea can take the water that we’ll throw towards it. After which, in the evening, we’re expecting the water levels to go down,” Hakim added. 7 Dead Due To Heavy Rain Kolkata was brought to a standstill as extremely heavy rainfall triggered severe flooding across the city, disrupting daily life and transport. Metro services were suspended between Shahid Khudiram and Maidan, while trains in Sealdah south and Circular Railway lines faced cancellations due to waterlogged tracks. Roads and residential areas were inundated, causing traffic snarls and office-goers’ struggles. The downpour, which saw 300mm of rain in just five hours, also resulted in 7 deaths across Beniapukur, Kalikapur, Netaji Nagar, Gariahat, and Ekbalpur, with electrocution claiming one life in Ekbalpur. Pandals and local businesses suffered losses, compounding the city’s woes.