Bihar to construct more barrages as part of flood mitigation measures: Minister

Patna, Mar 11 (PTI) The Bihar government has sent detailed project reports to the Centre to construct more barrages in East Champaran, West Champaran and other districts bordering Nepal, the state assembly was informed on Tuesday.

The project reports are part of the government's flood mitigation measures.

Water Resources Department (WRD) minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary said, "The Bihar government has sent detailed project reports (DPRs) pertaining to the construction of more barrages in East Champaran, West Champaran and other cities located along the Indo-Nepal border." Construction works on the new barrages will start immediately after the Centre's approval, he said.

The minister made this announcement while concluding a discussion on the budget proposals of Rs 7,451.14 crore for the WRD for the 2025-26 fiscal.

The WRD's budget for the next fiscal was passed in the assembly by voice vote amid a walkout by the opposition members. They staged the walkout alleging that adequate measures are not being taken to provide relief to the people affected by floods every year.

"The DPRs of Rs 2,147.58 crore for River Management in Border Area (RMBA) and Rs 4,502.75 crore for Flood Management Programme (FMP) have been sent to the central government. The Centre recently announced financial support of Rs 11,500 crore for Bihar to deal with flood-related disasters that are an annual phenomenon for the state," Chaudhary said.

More barrages in East Champaran, West Champaran and other districts will be constructed as part of RMBA in association with the Center's help," the minister said.

The new barrages, which will be constructed, include a barrage on river Gandak at Areraj in East Champaran and another on the Masan River, a tributary of Burhi Gandak in West Champaran. Besides, a barrage on the Kamala River at Jainagar in Madhubani will also be constructed, he said.

"The Kosi-Mechi inter-linking project, entailing an expenditure of Rs 6,282.32 crore, will also be completed with the assistance of the Centre. This project aims to provide irrigation to the people in the Seemanchal region," Chaudhary said.

The state government's plans of inter-linking of Bagmati-Burhi Gandak and Gnadak-Akali Nullah will also get a boost from the Centre's flood mitigation projects for Bihar, he said.

The minister further said the Bihar government has been asking to manage floods by rivers originating from Nepal.

While elaborating on the river rejuvenation programme in the state, the minister said that the state government has taken several measures to rejuvenate and revive dying rivers. But this has to be done in a coordinated manner by the Center as well as other states.

"I must say that increasing heavy silt deposits in the river slows down the river flow, posing a big challenge to the existence of certain rivers," the minister said.

The Center should frame and formulate a national silt management policy at the earliest, as it will help the state take up silt removal work from the Ganga, other rivers and lakes, he added. PTI PKD SBN SBN