Waterlogging woes return to haunt Patna

PATNA: Continuous downpour since Sunday threw normal life out of gear in the city on Monday and left many localities waterlogged. Stinking smell emanating from the mixture of rainwater and overflowing drains added to the woes of people.
The rain also exposed the ill-preparedness of the Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) as rainwater accumulated in many low-lying areas of the city.
The PMC officials, however, claimed the waterlogging woes were much lesser this time when compared to previous years.In a press statement issued on Monday, the PMC claimed that the low-lying areas, especially Rajendra Nagar, Kankerbagh and New Bypass Road, witnessed less waterlogging due to effective measures taken by the civic body prior to the onset of monsoon.
Executive officer of PMC’s Kankerbagh circle Punam, however, admitted that at least three-foot water accumulated in several localities, such as Ramkrishna Nagar, Postal Park, Sanjay Nagar, Saurangpur, Ramvilas Chowk and Indira Nagar. “The PMC is continuously monitoring the situation in the affected areas,” she said.
The civic body was at a loss for words when asked to explain the reason for spread of mud mounds on the roads after the downpour. Several roads in the city were recently dug up for implementation of civic projects, such as laying of underground pipelines, electricity and phone wires and construction of drains.
Meanwhile, patients at several primary health centres and hospitals in the city were a harried lot as rainwater entered the premises of the hospitals.
Dr Ravi Ranjan Kumar Raman from the medicine department of Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH)-Patna said rainwater accumulated at the outpatient department of the hospital for a short while on Monday.
“The water was pumped out after the rain. Since the drains near NMCH were properly cleaned, we hope that the situation will be much better this time,” he Dr Raman added.
He said, “As a precautionary measure, the medical ICU has been shifted to ICU (surgery) for the time being.”
Rainwater also accumulated at Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), making the premises unhygienic for patients.
Ashok Kumar Singh, whose wife was admitted in the emergency ward at PMCH, said, “It was very difficult to step out of the hospital after the rain. Almost all the lanes were waterlogged.”