People cross the waterlogged Commercial Chowk in Darbhanga on Tuesday. Picture by Mohan Mahato

Sept. 27: Incessant rain clubbed with civic apathy has made life miserable for people residing in the flood-prone districts of Bihar. This year, even preparations for festivity have taken a beating because of the continuous downpour.

Most colonies in Darbhanga, including Bengali Tola, Balbhadrapur, Commercial Chowk, Gudari Mor, Bhagwandas and Purani Munsafi, are waterlogged. Sources said the condition of Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital was the worst, as the campus is under knee-deep water.

Baidnath Jha, a resident of Bengali Tola, told The Telegraph: “Water has entered more than 100 houses in the colony. Most of the residents are living in miserable conditions, as the ground floor in most houses is not habitable. The ground floor in my house is also inundated.”

Waterlogging and lack of drainage facility have made life difficult for the residents even though there has been no rain in the past 20 hours.

Jha added: “The civic body is solely responsible for our misery. It does not have a proper drainage system and outlets to take out the water. Whatever underground drainage system Darbhanga had, has become defunct now. I think political will is necessary for rescuing the residents from this condition.”

Prem Kumar, a shopkeeper at Gudari Bazar, said: “The main road has turned into a river and not a single administrative official has shown interest to bring us out of this appalling condition. Choked drains and encroachment are the cause behind such inundation.”

Mohammed Rizwan, a resident of Purani Munsafi Colony, said: “It has become very difficult to leave our home as we have to wade through knee-deep water. There is no proper drainage system in town.”

Municipal failure

Waterlogging for the past two days has forced residents to protest the negligent attitude of Muzaffarpur Municipal Corporation.

People residing at Bhagwanpur, Maripur, Motijheel, Naya Tola, Chandwara, Mithanpura and Malighat demonstrated by torching bamboo sticks and shouting slogans against the corporation today.

Several roads, lanes and by-lanes of the town are still submerged. Water has entered houses at Sikandarpur, New Area Colony, Bhagwanpur and other low-lying areas.

Social workers led by former MLA from Gaighat Assembly constituency Maheshwar Prasad Yadav observed a 12-hour fast today to protest against the dismal functioning of the corporation. Yadav, along with his supporters, sat on the fast outside district magistrate Santosh Kumar Mall’s office.

Meanwhile, corporation officials have expressed helplessness owing to financial constraints.

On the other hand, former minister and Congress leader Hind Keshri Yadav, along with his supporters, sat on an indefinite hunger strike outside the office of the district magistrate this afternoon to express anguish over the attitude of the civic body.

Puja spirit

Bhagalpur, which has also been battling flood and other challenges posed by nature, has come up with puja pandals, most of which are close to completion.

The residents of the city are also fighting a steep increase in prices of commodities because of nature’s wrath. As a result, the markets have taken a beating and the usual hustle-bustle seen at this time of the year is missing.

“There are 55 pandals apart from the 12 private Pujas. More than half-a-dozen have mega budgets while others are spending a minimum of Rs 6 lakh. Durga Puja in Bhagalpur would be big as usual,” said Abhay Ghosh Sonu, the general secretary of central committee of Durga Puja Mahasamity.

“It is very difficult to organise Durga Puja. The members of our family have contributed and the budget of our Puja is Rs 1 lakh,” said Hiren Sarkar, a member of Sarkar Bari, which has been celebrating Durga Puja since 1779.