Patna: Patnaites must be humming "rain, rain go away" on Monday with several parts of the state capital inundated in ankle to knee-deep (and even higher) water following Sunday night downpour.
Some of the worst hit areas included Rajendra Nagar, Kankarbagh, Patna Junction roundabout, Kadamkuan,
Langartoli
, Pataliputra and its adjoining industrial areas where city residents were seen wading through almost waist-deep waters on Monday.
Several parts of
Pataliputra Colony
resembled small lakes. "Thankfully, my daughter's school was closed on Monday. The roads have a lot of potholes and some deep ditches with no danger signs. It's very dangerous for anyone, who doesn't have an idea of the area, to visit," said Kusum Singh, a homemaker of New Pataliputra Colony.
An NGO-office opposite Pataliputra main sports ground has put up an iron bridge to reach the building from the main road as its compound was waterlogged.
Shopkeepers on
Pataliputra-Kurji
road (opposite Loyola High School) were seen sitting with glum faces as very few customers showed the courage to wade through the knee-deep water to make their purchases. "It is a regular phenomenon every time it rains. The water recedes only after 4-5 days and our business suffers," a salesperson at an automobile showroom said.
Business worth lakhs of rupees was hampered as shopkeepers of Hathwa Market had to down their shutters due to inundation. A shopowner said it's time for festival shopping, but they had to shut down their outlets and incur losses. The same was the situation in Langartoli and Bihari Sao Lane areas and near the Patna Junction roundabout.
Traffic on several routes was severely hit. The road opposite SBI main branch (Gandhi Maidan) and Children's Park was flooded causing traffic snarls. Several parts of North Krishnapuri, S K Puri, Boring Road, Rajeev Nagar, Nehru Nagar, Kurji and
Nageshwar Colony
resembled brooks on Monday.
The Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC), however, was at work to drain out the rainwater throughout Monday. "All the 20 sump machines in the four circles are working and we have been informed by sanitary inspectors that water has receded by about a feet at several places," a
PMC
official told TOI.
The PMC has also uploaded control room numbers (0612-3261372, 3261373, 2911135 and 3054108) to its website for people to lodge complaint regarding waterlogging in their respective areas.