Life thrown out of gear in Gaya after 273.4mm rainfall

GAYA: Incessant heavy rain since Monday evening crippled normal life in several parts of the town, leaving in its wake waterlogged roads, flooded houses, hospitals and traffic jams.
Not only low lying areas including the railway hospital is flooded, railway tracks too have been submerged at several places in the Grand Chord and PG sections leading to late running of trains like Kalka Mail, Jodhpur Express, Ajmer-Sealdah Express etc.Most of these trains are running late by about four to five hours.
An estimated 12 lakh cubic metre of water got accumulated on the sprawling airport premises spread over 900 acres and part of the 2200 metre-long runway was submerged.
According to met department sources, Gaya town received 273.4 mm rain from 5 pm on Monday to 8.30 am on Tuesday. The district has received the highest amount of rainfall in a single spell which was the heaviest in the last 74 years. The highest rainfall was recorded in Tekari sub-division, which was around 260 mm, said the DM, Kumar Ravi.
As per official figures, the district, on an average receives 1,131mm rainfall in a year. Incidentally, 21% of the annual rainf all took place in just about 15 hours throwing normal life out of gear.
"All the 17 patients admitted to different wards of the railway hospital were safely evacuated. Rain water has, however, caused extensive damage to several hospital equipment including the X-ray machine and the hospital's medicine store is also under water," said Dr DK Sahay, chief medical superintendent of the Gaya railway hospital. "Reports of house collapse have been received from different parts of the district. However, there is no report of any loss of life," said the DM .
Anugrah Narain Magadh Medical College and Hospital (ANMMCH) is safe.
Both Pant Nagar and Ashok Nagar localities are the worst affected parts of the town, said the DM. Besides the two localities, a good part of the town including Chanakyapuri, Shivpuri, Aliganj, New Karimganj and Durgabari etc have been badly affected. The DM also said that an SDRF team has been requisitioned.
Confirming the entry of rainwater on the Gaya airport runway, airport director Dilip Kumar said four tenders have been pressed into service to pump out water from the runway. Flight no AI 433 has been recancelled, said the director.