At least 12 people died, officials said Wednesday, with heavy rain slamming Kolkata and its surrounding areas in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata, which flooded the floods, disrupting transportation and leaving residents stranded for hours ahead of the major festival.
HR Biswas, regional head of the Indian Meteorological Service (IMD), said that most of the rainwater was 251.6 mm (9.9 inches) in 24 hours, making it the heaviest city witness since 1988.
Police said nine people died in Kolkata, with most of the deaths resulting in electricity. They added that the two drowned.
The rains have put the nation’s capital in a stagnant, with severe Hamp preparations, the coming Durga Puja – West Bengal’s largest annual Hindu festival.
Many big dances, temporary structures and other materials built with bamboo for the festival, and the clay idols of the gods suffered from the entire city.
In some areas, roads are submerged under the water at waists, beaches drive and force commuters to wader through flooded streets.
Roads, trains and air traffic suffered several interruptions, cancelled or delayed several flights and trains. The power outage can affect multiple areas for hours, complicating the difficulties for residents.
“When my flight was cancelled, all the roads were flooded,” said water and climate expert Ranjan Panda.
Authorities said they have deployed water pumps to clean streets and railroad tracks and have taken relief measures, including food distribution and emergency services.
IMD predicts that rainfall in the state and eastern India will be rained in the next few days as the Bay of Bengal forms low-pressure areas in the Bay of Bengal.
The state government announced that schools and other educational institutions were closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays before the holiday, and the festival was effective from Friday.
The situation will normalize Wednesday night as water levels fade in low-lying areas, officials said.
“This shouldn’t happen after four hours of rain. West Bengal is not in good condition,” Sandip Ghosh, a resident of Kolkata, told the Indian News Agency Anni,in Reuters Have a minority stake.
