Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Friday directed the water resources department (WRD) to initiate a plan to lift water from the Ganga near Sultanganj during the flood season from July to October. The water will be stored in the Badua reservoir in Banka district and the Kharagpur reservoir in Munger district to strengthen irrigation in the region. The chief minister stated that this initiative will ensure better water availability for farmers and improve agricultural productivity.
Plan Details and Benefits
The chief minister also proposed routing the lifted Ganga water through the Badua reservoir and further diverting it to the Fullidumer, Madhyagiri, and Bilasi reservoirs in Banka district's Fullidumer block. Officials indicated that once implemented, the scheme would provide irrigation support to approximately 45,850 hectares across Banka, Bhagalpur, and Munger districts through the Badua system. Additionally, an extra 5,310 hectares in Munger would benefit from the Kharagpur reservoir.
Choudhary added that the plan would enable 100% irrigation coverage across the designated command area of 4,204 hectares in Fullidumer and Amarpur blocks using the Madhyagiri and Bilasi reservoirs. This move aims to address water shortages caused by declining reservoir capacities.
Impact of Climate Change
A communiqué issued by the chief minister's office (CMO) highlighted that climate change and irregular rainfall have significantly reduced storage levels. The capacities of the Badua and Kharagpur reservoirs have dropped by 39.78% and 69.59%, respectively. Consequently, irrigation coverage remains limited to 19,136 hectares against the designed target of 51,160 hectares.
Proposed Expansion of Ganga Water Lift Project
To bridge this gap, the state government plans to expand the Ganga Water Lift Project. Under the proposal, 15.02 million cubic metres of water will be lifted from a detention tank being constructed at Bijikhhorwa Irrigation Colony using three motor pumps. The water will then be transported through pipelines stretching 26 km with a 0.90-metre diameter and an additional 1.15 km with a 0.50-metre diameter to the designated reservoirs. The project is estimated to cost Rs 174.52 crore.
In addition, a larger project worth Rs 1,866.11 crore is underway to lift Ganga water near Sultanganj during the monsoon period and store it in the Badua and Kharagpur reservoirs to ensure assured irrigation. The chief minister instructed WRD officials to expedite the work and complete the project at the earliest.
