Discussion with Nepal to Reduce Flood in Bihar

As per information provided by Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Chief Minister of Bihar met the President of Nepal in New Delhi during the latter’s visit to India from January 27-February 5 2011. However, the details of discussion are not available.

Measures taken by the Government to protect Bihar from flood fury are as under:

The schemes for flood and erosion control are planned, funded and executed bythe State Governments, as per their own priorities, out of their State plan funds which are made available to them through Planning Commission. In order to provide financial support to the State Governments, the Government of India also assisted the flood prone States in flood Management and anti-erosion works for critical reaches.

In, addition, the Government of India set Ganga Flood Control Commission (GFCC) in 1972 for preparation of comprehensive master plans for flood control measures in the Ganga basin states. Detailed Comprehensive Master Plans for all the 23 rive system constituting the Ganga basin had been prepared by GFCC and circulated to the concerned State Government for implementation.

During XI Plan period, central assistance is being provided to all the flood affected states for river management, flood control and anti-erosion works under a state sector scheme, namely, “Flood Management Programme (FMP)”. During the 11th Five Year Plan, 41 schemes of Bihar, estimsted to cost Rs. 1233.62 crore have been included under FMP of Government of India. The total central assistance released to the Government of Bihar under the FMP during the 11th Plan (upto 31.7.2011) is Rs. 544.39 crore including Rs. 42.39 crore for spill over works of 10th Five Year Plan.

The Government of India is also having continued dialogue with Nepal, on matters related to flood forecasting and construction of shortage dams to check floods in Bihar due to rivers flowing from Nepal. Government of India is also proving funds for construction of embankments to tie them up in high ground in Nepal along rivers Lalbakeya, Bagmati and Kamla, to prevent spill from these rivers in protected areas of Bihar.

The Minister in the Ministry Of Water Resources and Parliamentary Affairs Shri Pawan Kumar Bansal gave this information in written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today. (PIB)