From Paris to puddles: Patna sinks beneath a deluge of political promises

Time of India

29-07-2025

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Patna: Just a few hours of monsoon rain were enough to lay bare the crumbling dreams of an "international" Patna. Despite over two decades of grand declarations and political promises, Bihar's capital remains, quite literally, a "floating city".
Forget transforming Patna into a smart city, many residents struggle simply to walk safely through its flooded roads with waterlogging now a defining feature, whether in low-income neighbourhoods or high-security VIP zones.
It was shortly after the NDA came to power in Nov 2005, toppling the 15-year-long RJD rule, that then urban development and housing minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey vowed to remake Patna in the image of Paris.
His dramatic pledge created hope and headlines. For the first time in years, there was talk of giving Patna a modern, global facelift. But the dream evaporated just as quickly as Choubey was moved to the health department and "Paris" became nothing more than political poetry.
Fast-forward to March last year, deputy CM Samrat Choudhary conjured up a new fantasy – a London-style township in Patna. "In London, people feel comfortable while walking.
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In Patna, high levels of air pollution make walking difficult. The air pollution level in Patna is 400 AQI, whereas in London it is 0.4," Choudhary said at a press briefing. He also promised CCTV surveillance in narrow lanes and serious efforts to combat pollution.
But more than a year later, the city remains unchanged and choking.
RJD leader and former deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, now his party's face for chief ministership, went further in his "international" wish-list.
"If our govt is formed, we will turn the state into Scotland," he told reporters earlier this month. "BJP leaders are all immature. They talk about religious practices and clerical scripts. We will not allow caste and religious politics in Bihar," he added.
Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a vision for Patna, albeit a more localised one. "I would like to see Patna developed as Pune, just as Motihari should be developed like Mumbai and Gaya as Gurugram," he said while addressing a rally in Motihari on July 18.
But while leaders daydreamed, the skies opened and the streets drowned. Just 10 hours of monsoon rain were enough to expose the farcical nature of these global ambitions. Localities such as Old Secretariat, the Haj Bhawan area, Patel Nagar, the railway station surroundings and even the Gardanibagh hospital campus were submerged under rainwater. Office-goers were seen wading through waist-deep water, shoes and sandals in hand.
The minister for urban development and housing, however, offered a different explanation. "Waterlogging happened since Patna experienced heavy rain for a continuous 10 hours, but our officials are working hard to free from this problem," the minister said, adding he had personally visited several affected areas.
But the public isn't buying it.
"How is the idea of turning Patna into Paris, Modi ji?" asked former state Congress president Madan Mohan Jha, reacting to the scenes of flooded streets and frustrated citizens.
"We heard big claims about making Patna Paris, London, Shanghai and Scotland, but the situation on the ground remains entirely different," said city resident Rajiv Kumar Singh. "Let aside Patna turning into an international city, we would be more than happy if it simply remains Patna, free from dirt, waterlogging and pollution." With a wry smile, he added, "Patna ko Patna hi rahne dijiye to thik hai (Just let Patna be Patna, that would be enough).
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