Storm effect: Bapu Tower & Patna Zoo shut; restoration work underway

Patna: Major tourist attractions, including Bapu Tower and Patna Zoo, have been shut after a severe storm lashed the capital and nearby districts on Friday evening, causing structural damage and widespread uprooting of trees.

Bapu Tower director Vinay Kumar confirmed that strong winds loosened several copper plates on the structure, causing some of them to fall. Owing to the height of the tower, specialised repair work is required, forcing authorities to close the site for three days. The tower is tentatively expected to reopen on Wednesday.

Patna Zoo also remained closed on Saturday and will continue to remain shut till Sunday to allow teams to clear dozens of fallen trees from the premises. Authorities expect the zoo to reopen on Tuesday.

The closures come as the Bihar weather department extended red and orange alerts till May 10, warning of moderate to intense thunderstorms and lightning across several districts.

Meteorologists said wind speeds could touch up to 60kmph in many parts of the state, including Patna, during the next 24 hours. While temperatures are likely to remain stable, weather officials have predicted cloudy conditions and light rainfall across Bihar over the next two days.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD), Patna, said most districts in Bihar, including Patna, recorded “large excess” rainfall.

The IMD has also extended its warning till May 15 for gusty winds of 30-40 kmph and thunderstorms accompanied by lightning in north-west, north-central and north-east Bihar.

Relief and restoration work entered the second day on Saturday under the supervision of disaster management department secretary Chandrashekhar Singh. Teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), municipal corporation and forest department were deployed to clear debris and uprooted trees from key areas, including Bailey Road, the airport, the Secretariat and Kankarbagh.

Disaster management department minister Ratnesh Sada and chief secretary Pratyaya Amrit reviewed the progress of restoration work and issued directions to local officials to speed up the restoration of essential services.

The district administration has advised residents to avoid venturing outdoors during active weather alerts and urged people not to pay attention to unverified rumours regarding weather conditions.

Meanwhile, the PMC and the forest department removed nearly 200 fallen trees over two days following Friday’s storm. In the Nutan Rajdhani circle, teams cleared around 140 to 145 trees using 16 JCBs and 30 vehicles. In the Patliputra Circle, nearly 64 to 65 trees were removed from areas including Gandhi Maidan and Ashiana. Besides, five trees were cleared in Bankipur and eight in Azimabad, while no fallen trees were reported from Patna City. The operation involved 37 JCBs and more than 250 workers across the city.