By IANS,
Patna : Two people died after slipping into overflowing ditches following three days of heavy rain in the Bihar capital.
Subham Kumar, alias Chimpu, 22, a college student, died in Rajendra Nagar Monday night after he slipped and fell into a waterlogged ditch in which a live electric wire had fallen.
“Chimpu died after he came in contact with a live wire in the waterlogged ditch,” angry residents told police.
In another incident, Mukesh Kumar, 25, died after he fell into a waterlogged ditch near Azeemabad colony here Sunday night. “He fell into the overflowing ditch on way to his home and died,” police said.
Residents have demanded adequate compensation for the families of the victims.
Last month, a small boy died after he fell into a waterlogged ditch here.
Opposition politicians have blamed the government for failing to complete work on cleaning the drains and roads before the monsoon. “The government is solely responsible for the deaths because its unplanned digging of roads created dangerous ditches across Patna,” said Shyam Rajak, senior leader of the opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal.
Hundreds of people in the capital are struggling to cope with waterlogging caused by the continuous heavy rain. While a lucky few have shifted to safer areas, most have no choice but to live with the rainwater around them. Over a dozen upscale residential localities have been affected, including Kankarbagh, Rajendra Nagar, Boring Road, Khaitan Market and Dariyapur Gola.
The heavy rains continued Tuesday, submerging many roads and neighbourhoods. In some areas water pumps have been used to drain the water out.
Met office director T.N. Jha has predicted more rain Wednesday.