Waterborne diseases haunt Patna’s residents; 900 dengue cases reported in capital city since September, says Bihar’s health department

Patna: The capital city of Bihar is still in the grip of waterlogging and water-borne diseases like dengue. [caption id=“attachment_2974442” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AFP[/caption] “For the past month, there has been water logging in Phulwari Sharif area. I met the Mayor and the Commissioner of the district but they are not doing anything,” Arvind Kumar Pankaj, a local, told ANI. “People are facing many problems. In every house, one person is suffering from disease,” added Pankaj. A total of 615 dengue cases have been reported in the city this year till 17 October. School students are also facing the problem because of waterlogging. Varsha, a student, said that she was not going to school for weeks because of the floodwater. “This area is always waterlogged but from the past one month, the level of water has increased due to rainwater. The gutter holes are open. We are facing problems,” said Dinanath Gupta, a resident said. Several areas of the city were flooded by rainwater with Rajendra Nagar being one of the worst affected areas. Low-lying areas like Kankarbagh, Gardani Bagh, Dak Bungalow and SK Puri have also been affected severely. As per the state’s Health Department, as many as 900 dengue cases have been reported from across the city since September. Heavy rains had claimed the lives of over 73 people in Bihar.