Bihar Puts up a Strong Case for Linking of its River Basins
| IOP Desk - 22 Aug 2019

16th Meeting of the Special Committee for Interlinking of Rivers

 

Why Flooded Bihar Lags Behind in Irrigation Development? 

 

On the one hand, Bihar has to bear the brunt of floods from water from across our borders, and on the other, its irrigation development potential is below the national average: Shri Sanjay Kumar Jha

Bihar Requests Speedy Investment Clearance for Kosi-Mechi Link Project

By Onkareshwar Pandey

New Delhi, August 22, 2019: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar led Govt of Bihar has strongly advocated for the "speedy response from NWDA on several of Bihar's projects including expediting finalization of the revised DPR of Budhi Gandak-Noon-Baya Ganga Link project" by the agency.

Citing that on the one hand, Bihar has to "bear the brunt of floods from water from across our borders," and on the other, its "irrigation development potential is below the national average," Shri Sanjay Kumar Jha, Water Resources Minister of Bihar stressed upon the need for special attention to Bihar’s water-based needs and aspirations from key agencies including Central Water Commission (CWC), Ganga Flood Control Commission (GFCC) and the Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR).

He was speaking on the occasion of the 16th Meeting of the Special Committee for Interlinking of Rivers, held under the aegis of the Jal Shakti ministry, Government of India in Delhi on Wednesday.

The 16th Meeting of the Special Committee for Interlinking of Rivers, held under the aegis of the Jal Shakti ministry, Government of India, was an opportunity for Bihar's Water Resources minister Shri Sanjay Kumar Jha to highlight the state's key surface water and river interlinking issues at the national level.

"Besides the fact that north Bihar Rivers imply international obligations, our state has immense potential for linking of river basins," stated Shri Jha, who also argued for upgrading NWDA's regional office and network in Bihar with Chief Engineer level oversight.

The high-level meeting at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi was presided over by the Union Minister, Ministry of Jal Shakti Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat with whom Shri Sanjay Kumar Jha met in person later yesterday to expedite action on some of Bihar's priority projects, in particular, speeding up of Investment Clearance for the all-important Kosi-Mechi Interlinking project.

Noting the "significant contribution of National Water Development Agency (NWDA) towards broadening of the water grid to transfer surplus water to water-deficient regions," in the country, Shri Sanjay Kumar Jha in his speech at the meeting stressed upon the need for "speedy response from NWDA on several of Bihar's projects including expediting finalization of the revised DPR of Budhi Gandak-Noon-Baya Ganga Link project" by the agency.

The Special Committee for Interlinking of Rivers is the apex Government of India body overseeing the mandate of linking of river courses and basins in the country. Honorable Union Minister, Shri Shekhawat was joined by Shri Kataria (Minister of State, Jal Shakti), Water Resources Ministers of States, Secretaries and officials of the respective ministries and departments and all the central water agencies.

It is notable that Bihar's Kosi-Mechi (Mahananda) Link project received the Environment Clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Chang only this month through close follow up by the state's Water Resources Minister, Shri Sanjay Kumar Jha; who now has his sights fixed on "securing the Investment clearance from the Jal Shakti Ministry for this Seemanchal region project which will provide irrigation to more than 2,14,000 hectares of land in the region...and is a dream project of CM, Nitish Ji."

He was very keen to utilize this Delhi visit for attending the Special Committee meeting in a way that he could take up priority issues of his Department with the Jal Shakti Minister personally. Kosi-Mechi Link was on top of his agenda in his one-on-one meeting with Shri G S Shekhawat today evening in New Delhi. Investment Clearance is the final administrative approval for commencing work on the project.

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(Onkareshwar Pandey is Editor in Chief & CEO, Indian Observer Post and former Senior Group Editor- Rashtriya Sahara (Hindi & Urdu) and also former Editor - News, ANIhttp://bit.ly/2mh7hih 


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