Residents wade through a waterlogged road in Muzaffarpur after the heavy downpour on Thursday. Picture by Prakash Kumar

Muzaffarpur, May 19: Incessant rain, coupled with choked drains, have crippled the life of residents, exposing chinks in Muzaffarpur Municipal Corporation’s preparations to tackle monsoon deluge.

Thanks to the downpour in the past 12 hours, most roads in the town are submerged in rain and drain water. Business hubs, including Sutta-Patti, Saraiyaganj, Kedarnath Road, Motijheel, Sadar Hospital Road, Dharamshala Road, Diwan Road, Kalyani Chowk and Jawaharlal Road, are worst-hit as drain water has entered the shops and turnout of customers has been extremely low. Devendranath Choubey, a resident of Diwan Road, said gutter water, which has overflowed onto the pavements because of choked drains, has entered his house. The family has been forced to retreat to a higher place.

Sources said all eight outlets of city drains are clogged with filth and the corporation has done little to desilt them. As a result of this, rainwater is not finding a source to flow into the Budhi Gandak river and Fardo Nala, leading to overflowing of water onto the pavements.

Sources added even though monsoon is near, the corporation officials have turned a blind eye to the perennial threat of waterlogging in the city.

“Normally, the corporation officials remove the filth and garbage from the drains before the advent of monsoon to prevent blockage. But this time, the officials have turned a blind eye to the problem,” said Rakesh Kumar, a ward councillor of Motijheel.

Muzaffarpur Municipal Corporation commissioner Arun Kumar told The Telegraph: “The city’s eight big drain outlets, located at the Bhagwanpur, Rambagh, Sikandarpur, Barhampura, Motijheel, Fardo, Kamra and Malighat areas, have their own routes to flow into the rivulets. These outlets are choked, restricting the flow of drain water, resulting in rainwater overflowing onto the roads. There is an urgent need to remove the filth that has accumulated in these outlets to facilitate a smooth flow of drain water. Disposal of plastic bags by residents has also aggravated the problem.”

Kumar said the corporation has swung into action and has sought the help of the district authorities to demolish the illegal constructions on the pavements. Encroachments have also blocked the outlets. A letter has been sent to district magistrate Santosh Kumar Mall and senior superintendent of police Rajesh Kumar to provide special auxiliary police personnel to help dismantle the illegal constructions.

Mayor Bimla Devi Tulsiyan said she has instructed private agency — Nidan — which has been entrusted the task to clear garbage from the choked drains, to finish the work before the advent of monsoon.