Flood-stricken Patna won’t see normalcy anytime soon

More than thirty-six hours have passed since the last drops of rain fell on Patna. After days of non-stop rain that flooded most parts of the district, leading to unthinkable misery for its hapless residents, the dry spell has offered some relief. The sun peeped faintly from behind the clouds on Tuesday morning, bringing a hint of a smile on many faces.

Twenty teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), along with Indian Air Force helicopters, have been deployed for rescue and relief operations. Six NDRF teams have been sent to Patna, where several low-lying areas continue to be water-logged. While food packets and fresh drinking water have reached many residents in distress, restoration of power supply in all the affected areas is the need of the hour.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that Tuesday might see more light showers, though it seems that the worst phase of incessant rains is over. Low-lying areas are experiencing slow improvement, one reason being the notoriously bad drainage system in the city because of which the water level isn’t receding as fast as it should.

Residents of areas such as Kankarbagh and Rajendra Nagar are of the view that the establishment has been caught napping, while the latter has been insisting that it is doing what it can to alleviate the difficulties of the people. The fact of the matter is, a lot more needs to be done before the situation returns to normal, even if there isn’t a single more drop of rain.

The market for perishable commodities has experienced high demand in recent days. Potato, which is being sold for ₹40 a kg, is repeatedly vanishing from stalls and carts. The price of onions, another kitchen staple, had peaked at ₹100 per kg a couple of days earlier. Now, it is available for ₹70-80 per kg.

Cauliflower is being sold for ₹70 per piece, and people are buying it too. “The price of vegetables increases whenever there is a flood because there is less supply,” say vegetable sellers, for whom this is a good time to earn in plenty, as a standard explanation.

Water had entered the homes of several politicians, including that of the deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi. Modi was taken out of his house in an inflatable rubber boat on Monday. The photographs in which he is seen wearing a polo t-shirt and shorts went viral.

During times of tragedy, some people find time for insensitive acts of self-indulgence. In one such act, Aditi Singh, a student of National Institute of Fashion Technology, posed for photographs in a red dress in a flooded street. Titled ‘Mermaid in Disaster’, clicked by photographer Shyam Anuraj and shared on Facebook and Instagram, these photographs also met with criticism on social media.

Times have been tough, says Jivesh Kumar, who runs a hospital in Muzaffarpur and lives in the Bahadurpur area of Patna. “Things have been improving though,” he adds. “Water is being flushed out with the help of pumps. The administration has swung into action, and the results are showing. Food packets are being distributed as well.”

Bahadurpur had more than knee-deep water during the worst phase of waterlogging. Kumar says that he can move out of his house now, while vegetable sellers, who had stayed away from his locality for a few days, have started bringing their carts once again. “I am sure things will be fine soon,” he optimistically concludes.

Amitabh Pandey, a communications designer, shares the dismal picture of Pataliputra Colony, which is a posh Patna locality. “The water level is three feet high on the streets, while it is as high as one foot inside the ground floor of the house. Drinking water was distributed in the area, but how can a bottle or two of Bisleri help much? Water hasn’t been flushed out even now, and that has made things really difficult for residents of the locality. People need help, and that is the truth.”

For the administration, dealing with the urgent requirements of Patna residents has been a huge challenge. Faced with the sudden need for responding to the wrath of nature, it has failed to initiate prompt action and help those in need in all the affected areas of Patna.

As the capital of Bihar fights a war against a multitude of difficulties, one thing is for sure. Even if nature decides to be compassionate and downpours do not assail Patna any further, normalcy will return slowly.