Heavy rain throw life out of gear in Bihar; Patna badly hit

Heavy rain threw normal life out of gear in several parts of Bihar on Saturday, with disruption of rail traffic at a few places and submerging of major localities of state capital Patna.

Rainwater gushed into the premises of the Nalanda Medical College Hospital, the second largest healthcare unit in the city, as also the Gardanibagh hospital, inconveniencing both patients and employees.

Residences of Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar and other senior politicians were also submerged.

"Localities like Rajendra Nagar and S K Puri are the worst affected. But the good news is the Ganga has shown a receding trend. It had crossed the danger mark around a week ago," District Magistrate Kumar Ravi told reporters.

The state capital has been lashed by incessant shower since Friday night and the weather department has forecast heavy rain for the next few days.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar reviewed the situation across the state through a video conference. He was informed by officials that Bihar has received an average rainfall of 50 mm since Friday with districts like Vaishali and Nawada recording more than 200 mm.

The district magistrate said a contingent of NDRF and SDRF personnel was pressed into service to rescue residents from the areas alarmingly water-logged with the help of boats.

Vehicular traffic came to a near standstill on submerged roads as residents were seen wading through knee- deep water.

Plying of ambulances was virtually impossible in the Nalanda Medical College Hospital and the Gardanibagh Hospital, where essential items like oxygen cylinders were carried in hand pulled carts.

The high and the mighty were also not spared the trouble as residences of Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, Road Construction Minister Nand Kishore Yadav, BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy resembled marooned islands.

The weather department has predicted heavy rainfall for the city till September 30 and the district administration has ordered closure of all schools till Tuesday.

East Central Railway officials said rail traffic has been suspended on the Darbhanga-Samastipur section in the morning after heavy rain caused an embankment to collapse and the tracks at some places getting inundated, leaving at least three trains stranded.