Army called in to save submerged Patna

The Bihar government has sought help from the Army to make a bridge to help people as various parts of Patna remained submerged in rain and drain water for the eighth consecutive day today.
"Army has been called in to make an alternative bridge on a drain in Rajendra Nagar. The old bridge is hampering the outflow of accumulated water. It will be demolished and a new one will be constructed in its place in November-December this year," Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi said.
Vast residential areas in Patna including Rajendra Nagar, Kankarbagh, Patliputra Colony and Kadam Kuan are under two to three feet of water, affecting a majority of the 20 lakh population of the city.

Manjhi slammed Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) for the severe water-logging in the state capital since August 13 saying it failed to drain out the water.
The PMC could not even spend the Rs 27 crore provided recently by the government to buy equipment to clear water-logging, the chief minister said.
Manjhi said no work was being done in the PMC due to infighting between the mayor and the municipal commissioner and the people were suffering.

Manjhi also asked Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh to look out for an alternative way to bypass the quarrelling Mayor and Commissioner so that the people did not suffer.

Summoned by Patna High Court in a suo motu case, the chief secretary appeared before a division bench of Justices V N Sinha and P K Jha today and assured the judges that water-logging would be cleared in the next 48 hours, provided there was no further rainfall.
The district administration and the Urban Development Department have sought help of the Disaster Management Department (DMD) to help tide over the crisis that happened after heavy rainfall in Patna between August 12 and 16.
DMD Principal Secretary Vyasji said the Army Engineering Corps (AEC) would reach Patna today and would get into action immediately.

"The small bridge near the sump house in Rajendra Nagar locality is obstructing the outflow of drain water. The AEC will demolish it and construct a temporary one for the people of the area so that their movement is not affected," Vyasji said.