THE GLOBALIC || Samarth Singh || Bihar is currently experiencing severe floods, and around 16 lakh people have been affected by the natural calamity in 17 districts so far. This situation is not a new problem in the state as every monsoon, the same conditions arise in Bihar. Floods and inadequate rainfall result in loss of life, crops, and livestock. Despite huge devastation every year the administration fails to tackle the problems of millions of people.
Reason why Bihar floods every monsoon
Geographic reasons:
The main cause for massive flooding in Bihar is its geographic location, as Bihar lies below Nepal, the Himalayan rivers such as Kosi, Gandak, Burhi Gandak, Bagmati, Kamla Balan, Mahananda, and Adhwara flow into the state, carrying significant amounts of silt and other sedimentary materials. When heavy rainfall takes place in monsoon, all these rivers overflow and bring floods in the region.
Improper embankments of the Kosi River:
Due to Bihar’s geography, floods have long been an unavoidable challenge, prompting efforts to find solutions for decades. One of the state’s most destructive rivers, the Kosi, often referred to as the ‘sorrow of Bihar,’ has been a particular focus. In the 1950s, shortly after independence, embankments were constructed along the Kosi to control its flow. Though initially considered a permanent fix, these embankments have been breached multiple times and have introduced new issues instead of completely solving the problem. While talking to the media the convener of the Barh Mukti Abhiyan NGO Dinesh Kumar Mishra shed light on the problems related to the Kosi River.
“Embankments narrowed the course of the river. Thus, while Kosi earlier had the option to distribute its sediments, now it was in a straitjacket. With nowhere for the sediments to go, the river’s bed has been rising by about 5 inches a year, making it more prone to overflowing,” said Mishra.
Solutions
For many years, the idea of constructing a dam on the Kosi has been proposed, but progress has stalled as it requires cooperation from Nepal. On September 30, Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader, Samrat Choudhary, met with Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil in New Delhi, where he advocated for the construction of an “additional barrage” on the Kosi. The state government is also exploring the possibility of building barrages at Dagmara (Supaul) on the Kosi, Areraj on the Gandak, and another on the Bagmati River. Nevertheless, past experience with embankments suggests that purely engineering solutions may not be sufficient to resolve the Kosi’s persistent challenges.
