Waterlogged Gandhi Maidan after rain, in Patna.
Credit: PTI photo
Patna: Following heavy downpour since last night, which continued till Monday afternoon, Patna remained marooned with the entire city flooded with waist to thigh-deep water.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who had to go to Katihar, cancelled his trip as his chopper could not take off due to incessant rain. Elsewhere, the 15-hour heavy downpour submerged all the localities, including the official residence of Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, Vijay Kumar Sinha.
“One day of heavy rainfall has exposed the Nitish regime. If the State Capital is flooded with few hours of rain, imagine the plight of other districts in Bihar. Apparently, all the funds meant to clean the drainage has gone down the drain,” averred Leader of the Opposition and Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav.
Tejashwi’s remarks hold water as the entire railway track near the State Capital remained submerged in rains leading to delay and cancellation of several trains. Vehicular movement on all the roads remained affected with main thoroughfares in Kankarbagh, Rajendra Nagar, Patliputra and Kadamkuan marooned.
Commuters with their two-wheelers (which developed snag in submerged roads) could be seen wading through the monsoon rain. Around six flights were delayed or diverted at the Jaiprakash Narayan International Airport here due to incessant rain.
Rainwater also entered the campus of Bihar Vidhan Sabha premises, supposedly a VVIP area, besides the Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH) and Moin-ul-Haq Stadium.
“We have already issued a yellow alert for 27 districts in Bihar, including Patna, where heavy rains and thunderstorms are likely with the winds blowing at a speed of 30 to 40 km per hour,” said an official of the Indian Met Department (IMD). “With the probability of lightning too, we have cautioned the farmers and labourers too,” the IMD official added.