Floating Garbage, Rise in Dengue Cases: Patna Protests Over Floods

“Twenty-four teams are spraying ‘Temefos’ in Patna to kill mosquitoes,” Bihar’s Principal Secretary of Health said.

A rag-picker collects plastic drinking bottles floating on floodwaters after water levels receded at Rajendra Nagar in Patna on Sunday, 6 October. 

(Photo: PTI)

The number of dengue cases have seen a sharp rise after the heavy downpour in Bihar's Patna, a release issued by the Health Department said on Sunday, 6 October. A total of 409 cases of the vector-borne disease were reported in Patna between January and 27 September, it said, adding that the number jumped to 640 till 5 October.

Parts of the state capital continue to remain flooded, even as floating garbage and animal carcasses raised concerns of spreading of the disease. Bihar’s Principal Secretary (Health) Sanjay Kumar told ANI on Sunday that 24 teams are spraying ‘Temefos’ in Patna to kill mosquitoes.

While water levels did reportedly recede at localities such as Rajendra Nagar in the capital, with Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) workers engaged in cleaning operations, visuals still showed a considerable amount of water accumulated on the roads.

A rag picker rows a makeshift boat as he collects plastic drinking bottles floating on floodwaters at Rajendra Nagar area in Patna on 6 October.

Patna Municipal Corporation workers clean flood-affected Rajendra Nagar area after the water levels receded on Sunday, 6 October. 

Parts of Patna had been submerged for over a week with drains polluting many waterlogged areas. Authorities have blamed the waterlogging on malfunctioning pumps.

Hundreds of people staged protests against the state government’s handling of the disaster and the disease crisis, as 97 people have lost their lives in 15 flood-hit districts of the state.

Patna Waterlogging Exposed Sewerage Failure, Graft: Tejashwi

Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in Bihar, Tejashwi Yadav, attacked CM Nitish Kumar for the waterlogging in Patna, saying it not only exposed the failure of the drainage system but also the corruption involved in it.

Yadav also called it ‘shameful’ that Kumar blamed ‘nature's fury’ and “Hathiya Nakshatra” (constellation) for the deluge, reported PTI.

“The entire city has been inundated with rainwater. It is a complete failure of the drainage system and tells about the huge scam (involved in it)... Now, Nitish Kumar is saying that the inundation happened because of nature’s fury and <i>hathiya nakshatra</i>... it is a shameful statement.”

Tejashwi Yadav, as quoted by PTI

Officers responsible for the deluge have suddenly disappeared, the RJD leader said, adding they are either abroad or have taken "sanyas" (renunciation).

Protests Puncture Official Claims

The residents of Patna's Danapur area blocked roads near Gola road T-point, burnt tyres and shouted slogans against the government.

They said that the Patna Municipal Corporation and other government agencies have failed to pump out the floodwaters from the colonies and apartments even after the rains stopped six days ago.

In the last few days, people from the waterlogged areas have staged protests at over a dozen places in the city. The demonstrations have punctured claims of top government officials that the situation is improving.

Officials have also expressed concern at the choked sewage and drainage systems that are yet to be repaired. Adding to the difficulties, prices of daily essentials like fruits and vegetables have also sharply escalated over the last few days.

(With inputs from ANI, IANS and PTI)