Centre steps up river-linking push, Rs 924 crore released to Bihar for flood projects

The Centre has released Rs 924.40 crore to Bihar under its flood management programme, even as it pushes ahead with the interlinking of rivers to address both floods and water scarcity across regions.

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Choudhary said 30 links had been identified under the National Perspective Plan, 14 under the Himalayan and 16 under the Peninsular component. Of these, 11 detailed project reports have been prepared by the National Water Development Agency.

The Centre said the inter-basin water transfer model is aimed at using surplus floodwaters from major rivers to replenish drier regions. The Rs 44,605-crore Ken-Betwa project is the first to reach the implementation stage. Its main dam package has been awarded and the consultant appointed.

Bihar, among the worst-hit states during the monsoon, has emerged as the biggest beneficiary under the Centre’s flood management push. Forty-eight projects worth Rs 1,866.50 crore have been approved across states, of which Bihar has received the largest share.

The funding comes under the restructured Flood Management Programme, now part of the Flood Management and Border Areas Programme (FMBAP), which is operational until 2026, the minister added in the reply.