Patna, Oct 30: Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Friday stressed the need to secure the state’s rightful share of Ganga water, saying adequate availability of water was essential for agricultural expansion, industrial growth and overall development.
Addressing a seminar on ‘Ganga Water Treaty: Water Security of Bihar’ here, Choudhary said the state’s rivers and water resources should be viewed as its biggest strength rather than a weakness.
“Bihar needs sufficient water for drinking, irrigation and industrial purposes, particularly in matters concerning the Ganga water-sharing and Farakka agreements,” he said.
The chief minister said the nearly 25-year-old dispute between Bihar and Jharkhand over sharing of Sone river water had been resolved with the intervention of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, with Bihar securing 75 per cent of the water.
He also highlighted the state’s silt management policy, saying scientific utilisation of silt from the Ganga and other rivers would be promoted for public use and infrastructure development.
An agreement would be signed with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for the purpose, he added.
Calling for stronger Ganga embankments and scientific river management, Choudhary suggested an aerial survey of the river to help experts assess its flow patterns and silt accumulation.
The state government aims to generate employment opportunities for one crore people, and optimum utilisation of water resources would play a key role in achieving the target, he said.
“Our resolve is to make Bihar’s rivers the foundation of the state’s economic prosperity,” Choudhary said.
Deputy Chief Ministers Vijay Kumar Choudhary and Vijayendra Prasad Yadav, MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, senior officials, engineers and water-resource experts attended the seminar.
