Skip to main content

Concerns raised over Kosi-Mechi river linking project's flood control, irrigation claims

By A Representative 
The central cabinet's approval of the Kosi-Mechi river linking project, announced by the Press Information Bureau on March 28, 2025, has drawn scrutiny. This initiative is positioned as the country's second major river linking project following the Ken-Betwa link, with purported benefits including relief from Kosi floods and enhanced irrigation in the Seemanchal districts of Araria, Purnia, Kishanganj, and Katihar.
However, non-governmental organizations, including the Kosi Navnirman Manch, have voiced significant reservations. Following the Finance Minister's funding announcement the previous year, these groups analyzed the Detailed Project Report (DPR) available on the National Water Development Agency's website, alongside their own field studies. They subsequently called for governmental clarification and a white paper to address perceived discrepancies between the project's stated aims and the likely outcomes. As of yet, no official response has been issued.
According to these NGOs, the claim that the project will significantly mitigate or eliminate Kosi floods appears unsubstantiated by the DPR. They highlight that the project anticipates diverting 20,247 cusecs of water from the Kosi Eastern Main Canal, which is being remodeled from its existing 15,000 cusec capacity. This represents an additional diversion of only 5,247 cusecs. 
Given that the Kosi River experienced flows exceeding 6.81 lakh cusecs in September 2024, and the Bhimnagar Barrage has a design capacity of 9.5 lakh cusecs, the NGOs argue that the diverted water, even if the project were fully operational during such high flows, would constitute less than 1% (0.77%) of the total flow, thus having a negligible impact on flood levels. They also point to the practice of closing the Kosi Eastern and Western canal gates during high water flow, questioning the actual diversion capacity during flood events.
Concerns have also been raised regarding the irrigation benefits. NGOs note that the project primarily targets irrigation of 2.15 lakh hectares during the Kharif season in Araria, Purnia, Kishanganj, and Katihar. This period typically coincides with substantial rainfall in the Mahananda basin, averaging 1640 mm over 55 days. They question the necessity and effectiveness of irrigation during a rainy season, while the need for water is more critical during the Rabi season, for which a high dam is proposed as a future solution. 
Furthermore, they point to the historical underachievement of the Kosi Eastern Main Canal's irrigation targets, which were initially set at 7.12 lakh hectares but later reduced to 3.38 lakh hectares without full realization. The NGOs express apprehension that this pattern of unmet targets may repeat with the current project, potentially leading to conflicts between farmers in older and newer command areas.
Environmental groups also warn of the potential for increased floods and waterlogging due to the project's design, which involves crossing 13 Himalayan rivers via siphons with structures perpendicular to the river flows. 
They argue that during the monsoon, when these rivers experience high velocity flows and flooding, these siphons and perpendicular structures could exacerbate waterlogging and flood risks, referencing a past breach in the Kosi Eastern Canal near Bathnaha in Araria district where a river crossing via siphon occurred in 2017. 
The potential negative impacts on the environment and biodiversity, consistent with other river linking projects, are also highlighted, including the differing silt content in the Kosi and Mahananda rivers.
These organizations suggest that the project may be presenting a misleading picture of flood relief and irrigation benefits to farmers and flood victims, potentially serving electoral and commercial interests instead. They are urging the central and state governments to respond to their concerns with a factual white paper, and if their analysis proves correct, to reconsider the project and explore alternative solutions for flood mitigation and irrigation in the Kosi region.

Comments

TRENDING

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor*  This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

What's behind Donald Trump's 'narco-state' accusation against Venezuela

By Manolo De Los Santos  The US government has revived its campaign to label Venezuela a "narco-state", accusing its top leadership of drug trafficking and slapping hefty bounties on their heads for capture. This campaign, which only momentarily took a backseat, is a strategic fabrication, not a factual assessment. This accusation, particularly amplified under the Trump Administration, is a calculated smokescreen to justify a long-standing agenda: the overthrow of the Venezuelan government and the seizure of its vast oil and mineral resources. A closer examination of the facts reveals a country that has actively fought drug trafficking on its own terms and a US government with a clear and consistent history of destabilizing independent countries in Latin America.

1857 War of Independence... when Hindu-Muslim separatism, hatred wasn't an issue

"The Sepoy Revolt at Meerut", Illustrated London News, 1857  By Shamsul Islam* Large sections of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs unitedly challenged the greatest imperialist power, Britain, during India’s First War of Independence which began on May 10, 1857; the day being Sunday. This extraordinary unity, naturally, unnerved the firangees and made them realize that if their rule was to continue in India, it could happen only when Hindus and Muslims, the largest two religious communities were divided on communal lines.

Two more "aadhaar-linked" Jharkhand deaths: 17 die of starvation since Sept 2017

Kaleshwar's sons Santosh and Mantosh Counterview Desk A fact-finding team of the Right to Feed Campaign, pointing towards the death of two more persons due to starvation in Jharkhand, has said that this has happened because of the absence of aadhaar, leading to “persistent lack of food at home and unavailability of any means of earning.” It has disputed the state government claims that these deaths are due to reasons other than starvation, adding, the authorities have “done nothing” to reduce the alarming state of food insecurity in the state.

New RTI draft rules inspired by citizen-unfriendly, overtly bureaucratic approach

By Venkatesh Nayak* The Department of Personnel and Training , Government of India has invited comments on a new set of Draft Rules (available in English only) to implement The Right to Information Act, 2005 . The RTI Rules were last amended in 2012 after a long period of consultation with various stakeholders. The Government’s move to put the draft RTI Rules out for people’s comments and suggestions for change is a welcome continuation of the tradition of public consultation. Positive aspects of the Draft RTI Rules While 60-65% of the Draft RTI Rules repeat the content of the 2012 RTI Rules, some new aspects deserve appreciation as they clarify the manner of implementation of key provisions of the RTI Act. These are: Provisions for dealing with non-compliance of the orders and directives of the Central Information Commission (CIC) by public authorities- this was missing in the 2012 RTI Rules. Non-compliance is increasingly becoming a major problem- two of my non-compliance cases are...

Epic war against caste system is constitutional responsibility of elected government

Edited by well-known Gujarat Dalit rights leader Martin Macwan, the book, “Bhed-Bharat: An Account of Injustice and Atrocities on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-18)” (available in English and Gujarati*) is a selection of news articles on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-2018) published by Dalit Shakti Prakashan, Ahmedabad. Preface to the book, in which Macwan seeks to answer key questions on why the book is needed today: *** The thought of compiling a book on atrocities on Dalits and thus present an overall Indian picture had occurred to me a long time ago. Absence of such a comprehensive picture is a major reason for a weak social and political consciousness among Dalits as well as non-Dalits. But gradually the idea took a different form. I found that lay readers don’t understand numbers and don’t like to read well-researched articles. The best way to reach out to them was storytelling. As I started writing in Gujarati and sharing the idea of the book with my friends, it occurred to me that while...

N-power plant at Mithi Virdi: CRZ nod is arbitrary, without jurisdiction

By Krishnakant* A case-appeal has been filed against the order of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and others granting CRZ clearance for establishment of intake and outfall facility for proposed 6000 MWe Nuclear Power Plant at Mithi Virdi, District Bhavnagar, Gujarat by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) vide order in F 11-23 /2014-IA- III dated March 3, 2015. The case-appeal in the National Green Tribunal at Western Bench at Pune is filed by Shaktisinh Gohil, Sarpanch of Jasapara; Hajabhai Dihora of Mithi Virdi; Jagrutiben Gohil of Jasapara; Krishnakant and Rohit Prajapati activist of the Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the MoEF&CC, Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gujarat Coastal Zone Management Authority, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and case is kept for hearing on August 20, 2015. Appeal No. 23 of 2015 (WZ) is filed, a...

Ground reality: Israel would a remain Jewish state, attempt to overthrow it will be futile

By NS Venkataraman*  Now that truce has been arrived at between Israel and Hamas for a period of four days and with release of a few hostages from both sides, there is hope that truce would be further extended and the intensity of war would become significantly less. This likely “truce period” gives an opportunity for the sworn supporters and bitter opponents of Hamas as well as Israel and the observers around the world to introspect on the happenings and whether this war could have been avoided. There is prolonged debate for the last several decades as to whom the present region that has been provided to Jews after the World War II belong. View of some people is that Jews have been occupants earlier and therefore, the region should belong to Jews only. However, Christians and those belonging to Islam have also lived in this regions for long period. While Christians make no claim, the dispute is between Jews and those who claim themselves to be Palestinians. In any case...

Fate of Yamuna floodplain still hangs in "balance" despite National Green Tribunal rap on Sri Sri event

By Ashok Shrimali* While the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday reportedly pulled up the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for granting permission to hold spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's World Culture Festival on the banks of Yamuna, the chief petitioners against the high-profile event Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan has declared, the “fate of the floodplain still hangs in balance.”