Will rains sink Patna again?

In the last week of September of 2019, heavy rains caused rampant destruction in the Bihar's capital. In such a situation, the important question which arises- will Patna sink again or is the government capable to handle the situation? ETV Bharat brings a detailed investigation.

Patna:With the advent of pre-monsoon in several parts of Bihar, the residents of Patna recall the horrific flood situation that claimed the lives of more than 40 people in the city.

The situation was such that people were 'imprisoned' in their houses for many days. The houses were full of water and boats were seen on the streets. This condition exposed the failed system and the hollow claims made by the government in the name of development.

In such a situation, it is necessary to understand to what extent the government has ramped up in the last 8 months, taking lessons from last year's flood and for that, we have to understand the geographical location of Patna.

Experts say that Patna is like a bowl

Residents imprisoned in their own houses in the flood last year

According to experts, Patna is like a bowl. There are high areas all around and low lying areas in between. This is the reason the low lying areas like Rajendra Nagar, Kankarbagh, Beur and Kumhrar were the worst hit by the floods. Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi had been stranded in his private residence in Rajendra Nagar for several days. Later, along with the family, he was rescued and taken to a safe place. At the same time, the houses of many other ministers and officials of the government were also filled with water for several weeks.

Patna municipal corporation while cleaning a drain near Kankarbagh

Questions raised over the drainage system

The horrific situation witnessed last year may have been given the name of natural calamity by the State Government and the City Municipal Corporation, but their plea did not get embraced by the people since this was not the first time it rained. But, when the drainage system itself does not work, where the water will go?

Will rains sink Patna again?

Minister's claim appears only on the map

A map is the most crucial part of any drainage system. On the basis of the map, the exact information of the drains are obtained. Last year, several people claimed that the map of the network of drains of the city was lost in the year 2017. After which the government suffered a lot. However, the Urban development minister Suresh Sharma refuted these claims. Also, he said that this time a situation like last year will not arise.

Sump House repairing underway

Sump House repairing underway

Last year, the Sump House stopped working during the floods. There are currently 39 sump houses in Patna. While there are plans to build new sump houses at 17 places. The situation is not the same as last time. Hence Budco handed over the responsibility of running Sump Houses to private companies for three years. Apart from this, about 8 lakh feet of open drainage, 24,349 main halls and 18,444 catchpets are there in the corporation area.

Is the corporation ready to deal with the situation?

However, the rains have started but no preparation can be seen on the ground so far. Claims are being made that the situation will not be the same as last time. But such claims were made last year also. The government will once again break the mantle of waterlogging on Hathiya Nakshatra and clear its path. With this analysis, we can conclude that the concerned authorities and ministers will slyly take a narrow escape and the common people will bear the brunt of a failed system.