‘The rain of misery’: how newspapers covered the rainfall and floods in Bihar

The IMD has issued a red alert across Bihar as the state battles heavy rainfall and flooding. At least 22 deaths have been reported and the rain continued this morning in the state capital of Patna.

As a result, Bihar was front and centre for most Patna editions this morning.

Hindi daily Dainik Jagran reported on the floods across its first two pages. On page 2, it reported in detail the plight of stranded students, dysfunctional ATMs and the extraordinary hardships faced by locals to procure basic commodities.

“150 girls rescued in Rajendra Nagar, 10,000 remain stranded in Bazaar Samiti hostels,” read the headline. 

Page 5 of the paper mentioned in bold that the Bihar government has solicited the help of the Indian Air Force. “The rain of misery,” read a small headline. Both pages carried pictures of a submerged Patna with citizens wading through chest-deep water.

“Water curfew in Patna,” said the Dainik Bhaskar front page on September 30. It added in a sub-headline that the water level of Punpun, a Ganges tributary that cuts through the Bihari capital, rose by 2.5 metres in mere 26 hours. “Just 21 centimetres below the 1975 levels,” the paper warned. The daily informed its readers that flood-related incidents have killed 23 people in Bihar so far. It said: “40% of monsoon downpour recorded in 48 hours. Water enters 80% of homes in the capital. Localities like Rajendra Nagar without drinking water and electricity in the last 36 hours.” 

Hindustan’s main headline was as alarming as the other dailies. It read: “Disastrous rainfall in Patna, seven killed.” The front page report said: “The condition has become very bad in Patna. The entire city has turned into a big lake. Lower areas like Rajendra Nagar and Pataliputra Colony have been flooded. Many hospitals, shops, markets in the city have been inundated.”

The newspaper stated that about the route of about two dozen trains in the region have been affected, with water rising up to 5-6 feet.

Prabhat Khabar had detailed coverage on the rainfall on its front page and most of its inside pages, saying 29 people have died so far in the “havoc”. The report said people were “held hostage” by the rains in Patna and that the waterlogging in the city had worsened the situation. It quoted the administration as saying that 25,000 people have been evacuated so far from affected areas.

The Patna edition of Hindustan Times carried the front-page headline “Over 100 killed as incessant rain lashes UP and Bihar, relief ops on”. It noted that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar reviewed the situation on Sunday, and quoted him as saying: ““If the rains continue and level of water of Punpun rises in the south, much parts of Patna would be affected. But we cannot say it would happen. The government agencies are all on alert mode and working overtime to tackle the waterlogging.”

A story on page 2 pointed out that this isn’t the first time Patna’s “vulnerability” has been exposed. The story said: “Heavy monsoon, with 152 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours, rain has now exposed the preparedness of the State Capital in its quest for smart city, with rain-drain water flowing inside bedrooms and people crying for elusive help. The bad news is that the situation could worsen due to continuing rain, ominous forecast, flooded Ganga, Punpun and Sone rivers, choked and damaged drains and authorities looking heavenwards for respite.”