Rajendra Nagar, Kankarbagh Still under Rain Water

Patna: July 18, 2008

Despite a brief lull from rain and bright sun shining above Patna for the last two days, conditions in Kankarbagh, Rajendra Nagar, Bhanwar Pokhar, and Dariapur remained grim on Friday as water level, due to the embarrassing collapse of the city's infrastructure, refused to recede from low-lying areas continuing to add to the misery of the residents.

The stagnant water, that is fast turning into toxic waste, has people covering their face once outside their homes and avoiding tap water fearing disease of all sorts even as the administration geared up to disinfect the entire area with bleach and DDT in an attempt to avoid an outbreak of malaria, diarrhea and other water-related diseases.

Meanwhile, Legislator Arun Kumar Sinha, District Magistrate Jitendra Kumar Sinha, Patna Mayor Sanjay Kumar, City Development Joint Secretary S. Jalja, and Patna Municipal Corporation Commissioner Mihir Kumar Singh, and a number of ward councilors paid the customary visit to the rain-affected areas and offered their 'expert opinions' on ways to minimize its effects and how it could be avoided in the next monsoon season.

Angry residents in Kankarbagh, Rajendra Nagar, Bakerganj, Kadam Kuan, and Nala Road blocked the road for hours to protest the failure of the administration to avoid such misery despite tall promises by the leaders to that effect.

In Rajendra Nagar, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) activists chanted unflattering slogans outside the house of Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi and demanded his resignation for failing to keep his electoral promises.

Holding fishes in their hands, the NCP leaders said Rajendra Nagar was perfect for catching fish but not for human dwellings.

"The situation is so bad that even Modi has abandoned his house for good," said NCP leader Tapendra Narayan.