After floods, Patna battles to keep diseases at bay

After battling the floods in the state, residents of Bihar have a new fight on their hands: the outbreak of diseases.

Many city areas remained waterlogged on Thursday in Bihar and experts fear outbreak of waterborne diseases after the accumulated watr is pumped out.

District Magistrate Ravi Kumar on Thursday said that 75 teams have been deployed in Patna to sprinkle bleaching powder and remove animal carcass. "Over 70 teams will go to water-logged areas where they will sprinkle bleaching powder and will remove the carcass. The level of water has decreased. We have deployed pumps to drain out water. There is a danger of epidemic due to filth. The water level in the river has increased. The administration has deployed National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force teams," he said.

Patna has been brought to a standstill for past several days after many areas in the city submerged in chest-deep water.

"It has been ten days since there has been water-logging in our area. The municipal corporation is working to drain out water," Arun Kumar Singh, a resident said.

After incessant rainfall that resulted in foods in the state, the death count has risen to 73, with nine reported injured, according to the state officials.

NDRF has rescued over 10,000 people from the state capital. The rescue teams have been rowing people across the flooded streets in inflated boats from the past few days.

Even as Bihar continues to be under the deluge, an orange alert has been issued for Patna, Vaishali, Begusarai, and Khagaria districts for October 3 and 4, as these areas are expected to receive heavy rainfall.

-- With inputs from PTI and Agencies