Muzaffarpur July 4: Incessant rain over the past 12 hours flooded several parts of the town, derailing official and business activities.

The low-lying areas and commercial hubs of the town, including Saraiyaganj, Suttapatti, Kalyani, Kedarnath, Diwan Road, Motijheel, Jawaharlal Road, Station road, Hospital Road, Kalambagh Chowk, Mithanpura, Kacchi Sarai Road, Amar Cinema Road, Club Road and Sahu Road, areas wore a deserted look because of flooding. People were forced to wade through knee-deep to waist-deep water at many places. Plying of vehicles was restricted because of waterlogging.

Water seeped into houses and shops at Motijheel, Kalyani, Club Road, Kedarnath and Jawaharlal Road areas. The residents of Kalyani Bara, Kedarnath Road and Club Road woke up in the middle of the night to realise that water was entering their house owing to heavy rainfall.

A resident said: “We were shocked to find that water had seeped into our house.”

Business establishments at Motijheel, Suttapatti, Tilak Maidan Road, Jawaharlal Road and Kedarnath Road remained close for the larger part of the day owing to waterlogging.

Pankaj Kumar, the owner of a sports goods shop, said: “I went to my shop at Motijheel at night to shift valuable goods and furniture so that they do not get drenched.”

Ratan Kumar, a plastic trader of Motijheel said: “I live in constant fear of being forced to shut my shop because of heavy rain.”

Mohammad Jahangir, a tailor, said: “Pumping out of rain water is impossible because of choked drains. As a result, water seeps into houses near Kalyani Road and its adjoining areas.”

The residents of the area alleged the laggard attitude of the civic body has resulted in choked drains, which added their woes.

Devendra Nath Choubey, a resident of the town, said: “This monsoon has exposed the false claims of municipal corporation that they have cleaned choked drains.”

The commissioner of municipal corporation, Arun Kumar Singh, differed. He said: “The drains had been cleaned but the use of plastics and accumulation of garbage have choked the drains again.”

He said: “Plastic bags are a big obstacle in the flow of drain water. People of the city should be made aware of not using plastics.”

Former MLA of the town Vijendra Choudhary has threatened to launch an agitation against the failure of the municipal corporation and Ircon to construct pavements and drains in Motijheel.