Nitish Kumar

Patna, Feb. 19: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar today stressed the need to complete the work of interlinking state rivers on a priority basis to meet the challenges posed by droughts and flood.

While reviewing the state Flood Control Board’s 46th meeting along with ministers and top officials at the chief minister’s secretariat, Nitish asked the department concerned to hold timely review of the progress of the interlinking work.

Water resources department’s principal secretary Afzal Amanullah gave a presentation on the earlier schemes of the department during the meeting which was attended by deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, water resources minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary, revenue and land reforms minister Ramai Ram, road construction minister Nand Kishore Yadav besides development commissioner K.C. Saha and other top officials.

Nitish said the flood control board also gave approval for the construction of Koilwar Ganga embankment at an estimated cost of Rs 30.07 crore in an attempt to tide over the high pressure current in the Ganga Basin area.

Amanullah said the board has given approval of Rs 57.14 crore to plug the 2.1km breach at Simaria, construction of three spurs besides undertaking dredging on 6.5km near Ganga in Gopalganj district.