The students of Aryanbhatt University, who completed their even semester examinations recently, may have to wait a while before the results come their way: the reason being that for over a week, the section of Mithapur road was so badly water-logged and flooded, that it was almost impossible for examiners and evaluators to reach the University!
The Mithapur road which leads to the Patna bypass and Chidaiyan tal is in poor condition. Along the same road lie the Jakkanpur police station, NIFT (National Institute of fashion Technology) , AKU (Aryabhatt Knowledge University) and CNLU (Chanakya National Law University).

‘For a time it was most dangerous to cross.The entire area was flooded, and the places near the bridge construction were really dangerous. I refused to risk my life and limb till the road became usable.’ said one Professor, ‘Sad that the evaluation slowed down a bit, but that just couldn’t be helped.’

All sorts of things are ‘happening’ on this unfortunate stretch of road. Construction for yet another overbridge is going on and that is happening right down the middle. So the traffic has to squeeze through two really narrow paths. The pressure of traffic and the rain water has been just too much for the road to take. So there are potholes, loose shards of stone, and clouds of fine dust.
A local resident, near the CNLU campus, Mr. Ashok Kumar said that the bad condition of the road causes a huge traffic jam during the office hours. ‘The worst thing is that once you get caught in the jam then neither can you move forward nor backward,’ he says.
‘Our Patna people are also great!’ said another man, “Everyone is in a tearing hurry. they ignore all traffic rules. They don’t think straight. It is every man for himself. So, they get so frustrated. So they ger more delayed. Or they take foolish risks which end up with accidents.”
I saw a man falling from his bike but no one bothered to help him because of the rush on that poor road.
The shopkeepers say that when it rains, the road gets so full of water that it was a challenge for the customers to reach the market.
The footpath (or what is left of it) which is for the pedestrians, if often hijacked by the motorcycles, who use it as a bike path. Because the stagnant water on the potholed road does not let them move quickly. Even this shortcut does not help them as there are potholes lurking to trip them up.
The stinking garbage on the roadside is another cause of tension during the rains. Now the water has been drained out from the road, and it is dry, but no safer.
But, water logging is not the only issue. Traffic management is. The road has also become narrow because of the construction of a bridge. 50 per cent of the road has been taken under the construction area.
The construction work also makes the place dusty. Many of the confectioners have complained that their sweets which they prepare fresh in the morning, get spoiled with dust that comes in from the street, covering everything.

[With inpts from Yogesh Kumar]

  Dateline Bihar, interns