Bihar Urges Priority Approval for Kosi-Mechi River Linking Project at NWDA Meeting

Bihar Government's Water Resources Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary addressed the 38th Annual General Meeting of the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) and the 22nd meeting of the Special Committee on Interlinking of Rivers in New Delhi on Thursday. He also met the Union Water Power Minister. During this, he demanded approval of Bihar's river linking project on priority basis. He stressed on completing the work of DPR of Kosi-Mechi Link Project, which is pending in NWDA, as soon as possible. Principal Secretary of Water Resources Department, Bihar, Mr. Santosh Kumar Mall also participated in these meetings.

The Water Resources Minister said that the Kosi-Mechi Link Project is important from the point of view of flood management as well as irrigation. Its first phase executive DPR has been submitted by the Bihar Government with all the necessary data and facts for approval. After its commencement, the process of approval of the second phase DPR will be done. He said that at least in the first phase, where land acquisition is not required and there is a plan to enhance the old system, its approval should be given and work should be started on priority. Also, the Kosi-Mechi link project should be financed on the lines of the Ken-Betwa link project and the Central Government should approve it soon in the ratio of 90:10.

Shri Vijay Kumar Chaudhary also demanded that the National Silt Management Policy should be finalized and made effective immediately. He said that due to the continuous deposition of unaccounted silt in the rivers of Bihar, the flow of the rivers is getting affected and their water retention capacity is also decreasing. The suggestions of the Bihar Government should be included in the proposed policy for silt management. Also, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) should definitely consult the concerned states for dredging work.