Nitish meets PM, seeks Centre help to desilt Ganga

New Delhi, Aug 23 (PTI) Amid grim flood situation inBihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today met Prime MinisterNarendra Modi, seeking the Centre’s intervention to desilt theriver Ganga and also demanding the removal of Farakka barragewhich, he insisted was behind increasing silt in the river. The ill-effects of the West Bengal-based Farakka barrageoutweigh its benefits, he said, claiming it was due to thisthat water level in various rivers of Bihar had broken pastrecords despite it receiving 14 per cent less than normalrains. He also linked the Modi government’s ambitious NamamiGange project with better silt management, saying if attentionis not paid to the situation, then it will also put a questionmark on the programme’s success as he feels like "crying" atthe condition of Ganga in the state. Speaking to the media after he met Modi, Kumar insistedthat desilting the river Ganga is the only solution to avoidthe almost annual occurrence of floods and making it flowunhindered. Over 95 people have died in the current floods, he said. Modi offered assurance to him, saying immediate andpositive action will be taken on his demands, includingformulating a national silt management policy, Kumar said. "The very serious condition that we see today neveroccurred earlier. The only way to get rid of this isdesiltation. There is a need for national silt managementpolicy," he said. Kumar urged Modi to send a team of experts to assess the"unprecedented" situation in the state while noting that thisis the best time to evaluate the conditions there. "The Prime Minister assured me that experts will be sentand a decision on this subject should be taken soon. Immediateand positive action will have to be taken," he said. The Chief Minister expressed concern that the situationcan only worsen if it is not dealt with effectively and thestate will have to face more severe consequences in the comingyears. Though Bihar has received 14 per cent less rains thannormal during the monsoons, large parts of the state have beenflooded due to high rain fall in Nepal besides states likeMadhya Pradesh and Jharkhand, leading to huge discharge ofwater into rivers passing through it. Due to silt, Ganga could not store the amount of water itused to earlier, leading to flood-like condition despite notreceiving proportionate amount of rainfall, he said. "Presently, the main reason for the flood in Ganga is theexcessive deposit of silt in the river due to the constructionof Farakka barrage… We need to re-evaluate the need of thebarrage. Looking at it practically, the situation created byit has more ill-effects than benefits. Hence it will beappropriate that the Centre seriously consider the issue ofremoving the barrage," he said in a memorandum. PTI KRRG