Bihar CM Samrat Choudhary inspected the Kosi-Mechi Inter-State River Link Project in Supaul, directing officials to complete the Rs 6,282.32-crore project by March 2029 to ensure irrigation for 2,14,813 hectares in Seemanchal.

Kosi-Mechi Project Inspection

Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Wednesday inspected the under-construction Kosi-Mechi Inter-State River Link Project in Chainpur village under Chhatapur block of Supaul district and directed officials to complete the work within the stipulated timeframe while maintaining quality.

As per a release, the Rs 6,282.32-crore project aims to provide assured irrigation to 2,14,813 hectares of agricultural land across four districts of Seemanchal. Of this, 69,642 hectares in Araria, 69,970 hectares in Purnea, 39,548 hectares in Kishanganj and 35,653 hectares in Katihar will receive additional irrigation facilities.

Under the project, the excess water of the Kosi River will be diverted through a link canal to the Mechi River. The project is targeted for completion by March 2029. The Eastern Kosi Main Canal's water-carrying capacity will be increased from 15,000 cusecs to 20,000 cusecs. Four branch canals, six distributaries and other necessary canal systems will also be constructed. At the tail end of the project, around 950 cusecs of water will be discharged into the Mechi River, which is expected to increase water availability in the Mahananda basin, reduce the impact of floods in the Kosi region and support better water-resource management.

During the inspection, Choudhary reviewed the progress of construction and received updates from Water Resources Department Secretary Dr Chandrashekhar Singh and Supaul District Magistrate Sawan Kumar. The Chief Minister directed officials to ensure that construction work does not cause inconvenience to farmers. He stressed the need to maintain speed, quality and timely completion, and ordered continuous monitoring of all works associated with the project.

Choudhary also directed officials to prepare a comprehensive plan for managing the Kosi and Gandak rivers and develop systems through dams and other water structures to ensure water availability in smaller rivers throughout the year. He said the government's priority was to use the excess water of the Kosi to reach agricultural fields in Seemanchal, which would boost farm production, increase farmers' income and accelerate economic development in the region.

The Chief Minister described the Kosi-Mechi Inter-State River Link Project as a significant step towards expanding irrigation, flood management and sustainable water management in Bihar, saying it would benefit farmers and people across Seemanchal.

Bihar Cabinet Approves Key Development Projects

Earlier, the Bihar government approved several key proposals aimed at strengthening irrigation facilities, promoting industries, improving employment opportunities and boosting technology initiatives in the state. The state cabinet approved the restoration of canal systems under the "Har Khet Tak Sinchai Ka Paani" scheme to improve irrigation facilities for farmers.

The restoration work of the Janakinagar branch canal under the Narpatganj Irrigation Division and associated canal systems will be carried out at an estimated cost of Rs 30.35 crore, while restoration of Katihar distributary and related canal systems has been approved at a cost of around Rs 35.81 crore. Both projects are targeted to be completed within two years.

The cabinet also approved the Animal Breed Improvement Scheme under the 'Saat Nischay-3' initiative to promote animal husbandry in Bihar. The scheme will involve an estimated expenditure of Rs 63.93 crore during the financial year 2026-27.

The state government also approved the development of the Buxar-Bhagalpur six-lane greenfield expressway project under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.

The cabinet approved the installation of 11,000 additional private tube wells under the "Har Khet Tak Sinchai Ka Paani" scheme in the next financial year. With this, the total number of private tube wells in the state will reach 46,000, providing irrigation facilities to around 2.30 lakh hectares of agricultural land.

In the technology sector, the Bihar government approved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Taiyo AI India Private Limited and the Department of Information Technology to develop an artificial intelligence ecosystem in the state.

The cabinet also approved measures to strengthen employment and career guidance by improving district employment offices across Bihar.

For industrial development, the government approved the establishment of new cooperative sugar mills on the land of closed sugar mills at Sakri in Madhubani and Shyam in Darbhanga under the "Samriddh Udyog-Sashakt Bihar" vision of Saat Nischay-3.

The cabinet also approved the creation of an additional storage capacity of 48,200 metric tonnes for cooperative societies during the financial year 2026-27.

Among other decisions, the government approved the formation of fishermen cooperative unions at district, block and state levels to strengthen and organise the fishing community.

The cabinet also approved amendments in rules related to publicity of government schemes through social media and online media platforms to make the process more effective and transparent.

The Bihar Panchayati Raj Finance Corporation, which has remained inactive for a long time with no practical possibility of revival, will now be moved for liquidation proceedings under the Companies Act, 2013 through the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).

The cabinet further approved 100 per cent exemption from stamp duty and registration charges on lease documents for land acquired for the Kajra Solar Power Project in Lakhisarai. (ANI)

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