Muzaffarpur, Aug. 23: Torrential rain from early this morning threw life out of gear in the commercial capital of north Bihar.

School and office goers were seen stranded on roads and had a very difficult time in reaching their destinations.

Several areas in the city were waterlogged as it rained throughout the day. Problems were compounded by the overflowing sewerage water.

Pedestrians had to wade through knee-deep water even in the busy areas of the town, including Motijheel, Kalyani, Kedarnath Road, Club Road, Harisabha Chowk, Diwan Road, Amar Cinema Road, Station Road, Hospital Road, Jawaharlal Road and Tilak Maidan Road.

Most shopkeepers did not open their shops.

Several low-lying areas in the city were completely submerged. Drain water invaded the houses in several areas, including Kalyani, Harisabha Chowk and Kedarath Road, where residents were forced to stay indoors.

“We were confined to the houses as drain water entered our homes following incessant rainfall,” said Bhola Babu, a resident of Kedarnath Road.

Several residents blamed Muzaffarpur Municipal Corporation’s poor planning behind the situation.

Municipal commissioner Arun Kumar said the situation has worsened because of the continuous rain. “The drains are not blocked and the water-level will subside,” he said.

The commissioner appealed to the people not to throw plastic bags in the drains that leads to the congestion.

Offices registered low attendance, nationalised banks had very few customers and shops remained closed.

President of North Bihar Chamber of Commerce and Industry Motilal Chaparia said the state urban development department has failed to check the menace of perennial waterlogging and other problems during the rainy season.

“The government should focus on the civic conditions and try and curb the menace of waterlogging and overflowing of drains,” he said, adding that because of just a day’s rain, business activities in the entire city were severely affected.