Patna: National Waterways would do well to address the major problem of silt deposits along the Ganges, says Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. He also questioned the wisdom of  building check dams which would further affect the flow of water. Boats need enough water to be able to traverse the length of the river! Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar  advocated formulation of a national siltation management policy to ensure uninterrupted flow of waters in the river Ganges (April 1).

Mr. Kumar said this after a team of Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) gave a presentation to him on the proposed National Waterways-I project from Allahabad to Haldia in West Bengal.

The Bihar CM told IWAI officials that functional width of the Ganga was decreasing due to regular silt deposit in the river, an official statement said here.

“Unless and until the National Waterways is coming up with comprehensive outlook, the project would not be successful,” he said.

“With regard to the Ganga, special emphasis needs to be made in flow of water, silt deposition and silt management,” he said.

On direction of the Bihar CM, the visiting IWAI team was taken for an aerial survey from Buxar to Farakka to help them gauge the present status of the Ganga river.

The Bihar CM has expressed reservation on construction of check dams as part of creation of National Waterways I on the Ganga which would cover major part of Bihar as this would result in further disruption in flow of water in the river which already is at low ebb.

  Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Ganges, water