Ahead of PM’s Bihar visit, Patil makes aerial survey of areas to be benefited from river project

Patna, Sep 11 (PTI) Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil on Thursday conducted an aerial survey of the areas that will be benefited from the Kosi-Mechi Intra-State river link project in Bihar, ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Purnea on September 15.

The Kosi-Mechi Intra-State River Link Project will divert 2,050 million cubic metres of surplus Kosi water to extend irrigation to the Mahananda basin in Bihar by remodelling the existing Eastern Kosi Main Canal (EKMC).

Mechi is a tributary of the Mahananda river. However, its basin remains largely deficient in providing adequate water for irrigation. Channeling surplus Kosi water into the Mechi river will optimise irrigation facilities in the Mahananda basin across the districts of Supaul, Araria, Kishanganj and Purnea.

According to a statement issued by the state Water Resources Department (WRD), Patil was accompanied by Union minister of state for Jal Shakti Rajbhushan Chaudhary and state WRD minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary during the aerial survey.

It is expected that the foundation stone for the project would be laid during the PM’s visit to Purnea four days later, said the statement.

The PM will be in Purnea district on September 15 to inaugurate a newly developed airport and launch development schemes worth about Rs 45,000 crore.

Vijay Kumar Choudhary informed the union ministers that the project would primarily create additional irrigation capacity across 2.15 lakh hectares.

On one hand, surplus water from the Kosi River during the flood season will be diverted to the Mechi River, and on the other, the project will involve the revival of the Eastern Main Canal over a stretch of 41 kilometers and the expansion of the Mechi River. This will also contribute to flood mitigation efforts.

The meeting also discussed the Western Kosi Canal Restoration Project and the Bagmati Embankment Project. These initiatives will strengthen the flood protection infrastructure in the state and ensure the structural integrity of embankments, canals, and ring bunds, it said.

The project, estimated to cost Rs 6,282 crore, including Rs 3,652 crore in central assistance to Bihar, is scheduled for completion by March 2029. PTI PKD NN