Patna, July 17: After five cloudy days, a clear sky Thursday brought relief to hundreds of people in the flooded residential areas of Patna where seven people have died in rain-related accidents.
The sun appeared, bringing the smiles back on some faces in the Bihar capital, where most roads still remain under two to three feet of water.
The district authorities deployed half a dozen boats to facilitate the movement of people in marooned localities.
"Some boats have been deployed in the low-lying Kankarbagh and Rajendra Nagar neighbourhoods to help people," an official of the district administration said.
But the relief is likely to be temporary as the meteorological office has predicted heavy to very heavy showers again.
The Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) has failed to drain the water from homes and roads.
Thanks to the flooding, cycle rickshaw pullers are a happy lot as they remain much sought after for transport. They have been charging double their regular rates.
Waterlogging has affected over a dozen residential areas. All schools here have been closed since Tuesday after heavy rains and waterlogging began to affect normal life.
Seven people have died in rain-related accidents - two after slipping into overflowing ditches and five of electrocution - in the last four days.
The state legislative assembly compound and the state's only international sports arena, Moinul Haque Stadium, have been waterlogged for the last few days.
Waterlogging has even affected Patliputra Colony, known as a VIP residential area where the political and business top brass live.
Bihar Urban Development Minister Bhola Singh and Patna Municipal Corporation Commissioner Mihir Kumar Singh blamed nature for the situation.
Residents have staged protests against the failure of government agencies to drain out water.
(IANS)
