With 73 death, epidemic threat in Bihar
Patna was brought to a standstill for past several days after many areas in the city submerged in chest-deep water.
Our correspondent /Agencies / PATNA
With floods claiming over seventy lives in different parts of Bihar and maximum damage was reported from the capital city of Patna, the ‘lethargic’ disaster management and relief work of the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government in the state has become target of people and the opposition.
Public as well as the Opposition parties slammed the government’s inability to deal with water-logging triggered by heavy rains in Patna and other districts of state.
With death toll in the devastating Bihar floods continue to rise, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was faced with stiff protests when he lost his cool at media and said floods are happening in other parts of the country and the US as well.
Agitated at being asked questions during his surveying of flood-affected localities in Patna, Nitish Kumar said, “I am asking in how many parts of the country and across the world have there been floods? Is water in some parts of Patna the only problem we have? What happened in America?”
Meanwhile Patna was declared as the worst-hit by the state administration. As per an assessment, more than 5,000 people have been evacuated and moved to safer places by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
“Nitish Kumar had returned to power on the issue of good governance but now questions are being raised on his inability to deal with the condition, which has surfaced due to rains. People are facing the worst kind of crisis in Bihar due to the state government’s failure in handling the situation”, RJD national vice-president Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said.
The Centre after reviewing the situation in Bihar has dispatched additional teams of NRDF and two Indian Air Force copters to help the state government in the relief and rescue operations.
Patna District Magistrate Ravi Kumar said that 75 teams are deployed around the city to sprinkle bleaching powder and remove animal carcass, clogged rainwater has begun to recede from several areas of the city.
“75 teams will go to waterlogged areas where they will sprinkle bleaching powder and will remove the carcass. The level of water has decreased. We have deployed pumps to drain out water. There is a danger of epidemic due to filth. The water level in the river has increased. The administration has deployed NDRF and SDRF teams,” he said.
Patna was brought to a standstill for past several days after many areas in the city submerged in chest-deep water.
After incessant rainfall that resulted in foods in the state, the death count has risen to 73, with 9 reported injured, according to the state officials.
NDRF has rescued over ten thousand people from the state capital. The rescue teams have been rowing people across the flooded streets in inflated boats from the past few days.
People formed long queues to collect food packets and water bottles which were distributed by National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) in Rajendra Nagar area.
To take stock of the situation, Ravi Shankar Prasad, the Union Minister and member Lok Sabha from Patna Sahib Constituency had also visited the flood-affected Rajendra Nagar area.
“I have visited all the areas of Kankarbag. The water has receded there to a great level. The biggest challenge is regarding health. Bleaching, fogging should be done…The administration is preparing a plan regarding that. As soon as the water level recedes, work will begin on it,” said the Minister.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has rescued over ten thousand people from the state capital. The rescue teams have been rowing people across the flooded streets in inflated boats from the past few days.
Five NDRF teams have been deployed in Patna’s Rajendra Nagar and Kankarbagh alone to assist people amid the flood situation. Water had also entered the Kankarbagh Police Station.
Indian Air Force helicopters have also been dropping relief material to the flood-affected areas. According to the Bihar State Disaster Management Authority, 40 people have died in the state due to the floods so far.
Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi inspected the sump houses which are working overtime to flush out waters from the inundated localities.
A few days ago Sushil Modi was rescued from his house after being stranded in the heavy floods that have submerged large parts of Patna.
Residents of marooned Patna localities like Hanuman Nagar, Rajendra Nagar and Kankar Bagh woke up to roars of Indian Air Force helicopters hovering in the sky with food and other relief material.
The citizens, forced to stay indoors for more than 48 hours, dashed to the roofs of their buildings and pulled off their shirts waving these at the choppers in a fervent bid to draw attention of IAF personnel towards their need for help.