Kosi-Mechi linking project gets Centre’s green signal

PATNA: The plan to link Kosi and Mechi rivers— the second river-linking project in the country after the Ken-Betwa scheme in Madhya Pradesh—has got the green clearance from the Centre.
The Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change on Thursday gave its nod to the state’s Kosi-Mechi river linking (KMRL) project, paving the way for work to begin next year, sources in the state water resources department said.
To be undertaken at a cost of around Rs 4,900 crore, the KMRL project is likely to be completed in five years. Once completed, it will irrigate 2.14 lakh hectares in four Seemanchal —59,970 hectares in Araria, 59,642 hectares in Purnia, 39,548 hectares in Kishanganj, and 35,635 in Katihar district of Purnia division.
A 76.2km canal will be built to link the two rivers basins of Kosi (Supaul and Saharsa districts) in the west with Mechi basin in Kishananj on the east, and their linkage with the Mahananda basin, further east.
An elated state water resources minister Sanjay Kumar Jha tweeted on Friday night: “Bihar’s ambitious Kosi-Mechi river linking project all set to go on floor! Delighted to share the news of grant of formal approval by @efcc.”
“The last techno-admin clearance required! The 4900 cr project will provide irrigation to over 2.14 lakh hectares of land in 4 districts in Seemanchal,” he added in a second tweet.
Jha had met Union forest minister Prakash Javadekar on June 17 this year seeking clearance for the project that had been pending with the Centre for the past few years.
Accordingly, the national water development authority provided statistical details required to give the clearance to the project. “After this, the Union ministry gave its clearance. The KMRL project has sanction from all statutory bodies, like Central Water Commission and NWDA,” a state water resources department official said.
However, the state will have to work out a way to generate the Rs 4,900 crore to fund the project. The state government has been canvassing with the Centre to declare the KMRL as a national project, as the irrigation envisaged is over 2 lakh hectares of land. If it is declared a national project, the Centre would bear 90% of the cost (or Rs 4,410) and the state government the remaining 10% (or Rs 490 crore). Such an arrangement will involve talks between PM Narendra Modi and CM Nitish Kumar.
Alternatively, the state government would have to raise the money from its own resources and through external borrowings, such as funding from the Asian Development Bank. Incidentally, at present, the Bihar Kosi Basin Development Project is being implemented with assistance from the World Bank.