Patna: The IMD on Sunday issued a fresh warning for thunderstorms, lightning and wind speeds of up to 40kmph across large parts of the state over the next 24 hours, days after a powerful storm paralysed normal life and exposed infrastructure vulnerabilities in Patna.While the forecast for the next two days predicts scattered light rainfall and maximum temperatures rising up to 40 degrees Celsius in the southwestern districts, the renewed alert has put the administration under pressure to ensure uninterrupted civic services and strengthen disaster preparedness ahead of the monsoon season.Friday’s storm had caused widespread disruption in the capital, uprooting trees, damaging electric poles and disrupting traffic and power supply across several localities.The falling of trees created havoc in many parts of the city and damaged several electricity feeders. Patna Electric Supply Undertaking general manager Dilip Kumar Singh said restoration work was delayed because teams struggled to remove uprooted trees and arrange adequate equipment.“Restoration was primarily delayed because it was very difficult moving the trees out of the way and then fixing the electric supply because we did not have enough equipment. So now the primary objective is to increase the number of chain saws and be in prompt coordination with contractors and agencies who can provide us with more hydra cranes and JCB trucks,” Dilip said.He added that although around 95% restoration work was completed by 9 pm on Friday, localities such as Buddha Colony and Punaichak took more time as multiple trees had collapsed there.Traffic movement on several major roads remained severely affected because of the unusually high number of fallen trees.Patna traffic superintendent of police Sagar Kumar said authorities had already begun improving coordination among emergency response agencies.“Since monsoons are ahead, we will make sure such a situation never arises. We have already briefed the first responders, such as the municipal corporation and the forest department, so that there is increased coordination from the next time,” Sagar said.He added plans were also underway to increase the number of quick response teams by the end of May. Sagar admitted traffic jams and power outages had delayed the movement of cranes and JCB machines, while several CCTV cameras remained non-functional during the disruption.Patna Municipal Corporation commissioner Yashpal Meena said more heavy-duty cutting machines would be arranged to deal with large uprooted trees.“PMC will try to rope in bigger cutting machines in larger numbers,” Yashpal said, adding more than 300 fallen trees had been removed within one-and-a-half days.The IMD, Patna, has extended its weather warning till May 15 and issued an orange alert for Tuesday for thunderstorms and winds of 50-60 kmph in parts of north Bihar.
