Prashant Kishor linked the flood in North Bihar with corruption.

Prashant Kishor linked the flood in North Bihar with corruption.

Patna September 30, 2024: Prashant Kishor, the curator of Jan Suraj, on Monday, alleged that the worsening flood situation in Bihar is due to deep corruption in the various departments.

“The contractors, with the complicity of engineer and officials, deliberately damage embankments to secure more funds under the guise of flood control, allowing corruption to flourish,” He said.

Prashant Kishor criticized the Bihar government over poor flood measures in North Bihar.

Around 50% of Bihar’s land is at risk of floods, while around 30% is permanently waterlogged, and 25 to 27% of the land experiences drought conditions,” he said.

Prashant Kishor said the flood situation in North Bihar, especially in the Terai area like East Champaran, West Champaran, Sheohar, Sitamarhi, Madhubani Darbhanga Araria, Supaul and Kishanganj are severely affected by flooding and soil erosion while the issue of waterlogging is prevalent in districts like Siwan, Gopalganj, Saran, Vaishali, Samastipur, Khagaria and Begusarai where large tracts of land remain submerged.

In contrast, he said that South Bihar faces recurring droughts, as the water supply is insufficient in this region south of the Ganga River. This geographic divide creates varied water-related challenges across the state hampering agricultural productivity and livelihood.  

Amid ongoing flood and drought challenges, Prashant Kishor emphasized that the Jan Suraj party’s upcoming vision documents will focus on a comprehensive water management plan rather than isolated flood control strategies.

Instead of approaching floods, droughts and waterlogging as separate issues, the plan will offer an integrated solution that addresses all three problems simultaneously,” Kishor said.

Prashant Kishor criticized the current approach of the Bihar government where distinct plans like the Kosi Plan, Son Plan, and Gandak Plan are proposed, and instead advocated for a unified, statewide water management strategy.

“The strategy we opt would ensure that water resources are managed more effectively and that the issues of floods, waterlogging, and drought are tackled through a coordinated framework,” he said.

To resolve these issues, he suggested that Bihar’s flood-prone waters could be turned into an asset, pointing to China’s model of creating a river grid.

“China successfully tackled a similar problem by linking rivers to manage floods, waterlogging and drought thereby turning a natural challenge into a strength for agriculture and water management. He said.

Also Read: The flood situation worsened in Sitamarhi, where a 35-meter embankment was broken.

EOM.