The flood situation in Bihar's capital Patna is worsening by the day, as rising water levels in the Ganga and Punpun rivers spread beyond low-lying residential colonies into commercial establishments. Floodwater has entered a tractor warehouse located near the Didarganj Fourlane National Highway, completely submerging several brand-new tractors parked inside the compound. The vehicles are feared to have suffered heavy damage.
District administration ramps up relief operations
With the flood situation turning serious, the Patna district administration has stepped up its relief, rescue and support operations across affected areas. The District Magistrate and the Superintendent of Police personally inspected several ghats along the Ganga, community kitchen centres and the flood-hit Punpun area. During the visits, officials spoke directly with affected residents to understand their difficulties and instructed the concerned officers on the ground to carry out relief work with sensitivity.
To ensure safe movement and speed up rescue work in the flood-affected pockets, the administration has deployed 189 boats. For medical needs, 34 ambulances and 20 medical camps have been made operational. Alongside this, 34 community kitchen centres are running to provide food to displaced and needy families across the affected localities.
Livestock rescued, relief material distributed
Livestock have not been spared by the floodwaters either, prompting the administration to set up 15 animal camps, where around 1,680 animals have already received treatment. More than 1,000 quintals of animal fodder has been distributed through these camps so that livestock do not go hungry while normal grazing areas remain waterlogged. For displaced families needing shelter material, the administration has handed out 6,018 polythene sheets.
SDRF, SSB and forest department teams on alert
To speed up rescue operations, eight teams of the SDRF and two teams of the SSB have been deployed on the ground. With floodwaters submerging the diara (riverine) areas, there is a heightened risk of wild animals straying into populated localities, so a forest department rescue team has also been kept on standby. The administration has appealed to residents in flood-hit areas to remain cautious and, if they spot a wild animal, to avoid approaching it and instead immediately inform the administration or the forest department. Officials are continuously monitoring the water levels of the Ganga and Punpun, embankments, roads, relief camps and other sensitive spots.
Patna-Gaya rail section hit by rising water
The floods have also disrupted rail traffic. The East Central Railway issued a notification stating that because the water level near bridge number 21, which connects the Punpun and Parsa Bazar stations on the Patna-Gaya section, has risen to a dangerous level, several trains have either been cancelled or diverted onto different routes.
Boat capsizes near Gandhi Setu, two still missing
Separately, a boat carrying 11 people capsized in the Ganga near pillar numbers 9 and 10 of the Mahatma Gandhi Setu at Teresia in Raghopur, Vaishali district. Nine of the passengers were rescued safely, while a search is continuing for the remaining two. The boat was travelling from Raghopur towards Digha on Tuesday afternoon when it got caught in a strong current near the Gandhi Setu bridge and went out of control, leading to the accident.
