The spectre of a flood looms large on rural Patna and adjoining areas with an alarming rise in water levels of Punpun river, understood to be a delayed fallout of the torrential rainfall that battered Bihar over the weekend killing at least 73 people, an official said on Thursday.
Plying of trains has been stopped as a precautionary measure on Punpun Bazar-Parsa and Biharsharif-Bena sections on account of inundation of a couple of bridges.
"Movement of trains on the two sections has been stopped since 4.30 pm. Six trains have been cancelled, four short-terminated while five others were running on diverted routes," ECR Chief Public Relations Officer Rajesh Kumar said.
According to the Bihar water resources department, Punpun river which joins the Ganga about 25 kms downstream south of Patna, was flowing at 53.57 metres, far above the danger mark
of 50.60 metres and just slightly below the highest level ever recorded - 53.91 metres in 1976.
Rural Patna district administration said water began gushing into several villages of Punpun block villagers to rush to safer places.
"Two teams of the State Disaster Response Force each comprising 15 personnel and equipped with four boats - have been dispatched to Punpun and Dhanarua blocks for rescue operations. The sub-divisional officer and block development officers concerned have been put on alert," Patna District Magistrate Kumar Ravi said.