Patna paralyzed by waterlogging as rivers swell after 12 hours of rain

Patna: Continuous rain for over 12 hours on Monday left Patna waterlogged, crippling daily life and exposing yet again the city’s poor monsoon preparedness.

Several prominent areas, including Dak Bungalow Road, Patna Junction, Boring Road, Rajendra Nagar and Station Road, were submerged under knee-deep water, disrupting both road and rail traffic.

School vans failed to reach students, leaving schools inaccessible, while many office-goers remained stranded at home due to flooded streets. Elderly people and children found it nearly impossible to step outside.

Roads turned into streams, with vehicles breaking down and pedestrians carefully wading through the water, fearing open drains and live wires.

A Rajendra Nagar resident said, “We are not afraid of the rain, we are afraid of what lies beneath the water — drains, potholes, and live wires. This is not nature’s fury, it’s civic negligence.”

Another commuter, Sailesh Kumar, added, “Every year, the Municipal Corporation claims to clean drains, deploy pumps, and set up control rooms. Yet, within just hours of heavy rain, those claims are washed away. What remains is frustration, gridlock, and a sense of betrayal.”

The downpour has also caused rivers across Bihar to swell. The Ganga has crossed the danger mark at Digha Ghat and Gandhi Ghat in Patna, being 13 cm and 53 cm above the level respectively. Low-lying areas such as Diara, Maner, Danapur, Fatuha, Bakhtiyarpur and Daniyawan are witnessing floodwaters spreading rapidly.

The Gandak River is also close to the danger level at Dumaria Ghat in Gopalganj.

The Patna Meteorological Centre has forecast heavy rain and winds of up to 40 kmph in 19 districts over the next 24 hours. Red alerts have been issued for Supaul, Araria and Kishanganj, with warnings of lightning and thunderstorms.

With rivers swelling and rain persisting, Bihar faces the prospect of a prolonged monsoon crisis.