Water-logging to continue as PMC lacks proper drainage system

Patna,(BiharTimes): Though Justice Navin Sinha and Justice Vikash Jain have repeatedly been pulling up the Patna Municipal Corporation for the rampant growth of apartments in lanes and by-lanes of Patna causing drainage and traffic problems a newspaper (Hindustan Times) on Thursday carried a photo of the waterlogged house of the first named judge of the Patna high court in Patliputra Colony.

Two days later the scene in large part of Patliputra Colony, New Patliputra Colony, R K Nagar, Rajiv Nagar, Ashok Nagar, Polytechnic Mor, S K Nagar, Patel Nagar, Jakkanpur, Chandmari Road, S P Verma Road, Jagat Narayan Road, Salimpur Ahra etc is no better.

The PMC has virtually expressesed its helplessness in solving the problem of waterlogging even as state government on Saturday held a high level meeting to fight flood all over the state.

Though the civic body has pressed into service 122 pumping sets in 36 localities across Patna there is little hope of water receding in these places. With more rain predicted the situation is likely to worsen.

However, additional commissioner in charge (sanitation and revenue) of PMC, Shashank Shekhar Sinha, told media that all the pump sets in Patna are functional and operating.

He went on to claim that the pump sets drain out most of the water within hours after the rain stops. However, he conceded that nothing can be done for the localities that face waterlogging problem round the year. This could be done only when a new drainage system is built, he added.

Waterlogging has greatly affected the commuters, office-goers, school children, patients etc yet there seems to be no early solution to it. In such a solution Patnaites are only praying to keep the rain away for few more days.