Heavy showers, accompanied by fearsome thunder and lightning, were experienced in major parts of Jharkhand including the capital Ranchi on Tuesday. In the Mundro village, of the Giridih district, four children were killed and two others suffered injuries as a result of being struck by the lightning. The rain, however, proved to be a welcome relief from scorching heat the state had been facing for the last couple of weeks. Not only did this pre-monsoon rain cause a decrease in the temperatures of six degree Celsius, but it also proved to be helpful to the farmers preparing their Kharif crop.
This rainfall of around 30.4 mm, however, exposed the under preparedness of the Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) to face the upcoming rainy season. Rainwater gushed in several localities and prominent roads, causing water logging and major traffic blockages in Ranchi. Sumit Kumar, a Ranchi resident said, “We face water-logging problem in every rainy season due to narrow and choked drains. Civic body should clear all city drains much before the monsoon break.”