Kumar Rajiv Nayan
Ara : Incessant rain for the last three days has inundated almost all the areas in Bhojpur district throwing normal life out of gear forcing the residents to stay indoors or shift to safer places. The rain water has virtually turned Ara into a floating town exposing Ara Municipal Corporation (AMC). Due to torrential rain, District Education Officer, Bhojpur, Kaushan Kishore, announced closure of all the private and government schools on September 30, 2019.
The rain water has entered the business establishments and houses forcing the shop-keepers to down their shutter. At least a dozen persons have so far died due to heavy rain in Bhojpur district.Irate residents blocked the Ara-Sasaram main road near Anaith Mathia on September 30 toprotest indifferent attitude of the AMC towards their problems. They burnt tyres on road paralysing movement of vehicles for about three hours raising slogans against the officials of the AMC.
Rain water has entered many houses in Katira, Pakari, K G Road, Hari Ji Ka Hata, M P Bagh, Old Police Line, Bind Toli, Syndicate, Mirganj, Abarpur, Gausganj, Ramgarhia, Nyaya Nagar, Krishna Nagar, Housing Colony, New Police Line, Mahavir Tola, Babu Bazaar, Shaheed Bhawan round about, Ara Block Office, Agriculture Building, Ara Sadar Hospital, Godhana Road, offices of Superintending Engineer and Executive Engineers, South Bihar Power Distribution Private Limited offices, Traffic Police Station, and Ara Circuit House. Majority of roads in the Ara town are under two to five feet deep water. The historical Ramanan Maidan, Babu Bazaar, Karman Tola, Mahavir Tola, Sheoganj, Shital Tola, D T Road are completely waterlogged.
Flowing water has also snapped communication on Ara-Sasaram, Ara-Buxar, Ara-Sahar, Ara-Sandesh, Ara-Piro roads. Milkmen have taken shelter around the Ramana Maidan and over bridges along with their cattle. According to reports, more than 300 thatched houses have collapsed in Bhojpur district due to incessant rains. Foul smell is now emanating from the overflowing drains making life miserable for the people. As per the report of the Statistics Department, Bhojpur, heavy rain is likely in the district for the next 24 hours.
The officials visited rain affected areas and reviewed the damaged caused by the rain. Residents of Ara complained that their ward councillors seldom bother to get the drains cleaned under heir respective wards. The main vegetable market located at Sheesh Mahal Chowk and Gola is become a veritable hell.
Municipal Commissioner, AMC, claimed that all the drains of the town were cleaned and would once again be cleared within a fortnight and filth and garbage will be removed from the roads. He said that instructions have been issued to all residents of the town to remove encroachments from government land.