In April 038; June, Centre reminded Bihar of Kosi146;s unfinished work

On August 18, the Kosi smashed the embankment at Kusaha in Nepal, supposed to have been repaired and maintained by the Bihar government. But records show that the Centre, which reimburses Bihar8217;s cost on the works, repeatedly wanted to know from the state what preventive action was being taken on the Kosi in Nepal.

On April 1, the Patna-based Director Coordination of the Ganga Flood Control Commission8212; a body under the Union Ministry of Water Resources8212; wrote to the Engineer-in-Chief North of Bihar8217;s Water Resources Department. The letter clearly asks the state to specify what is being done 8220;on river Kosi in Nepal portion based on the recommendations of Kosi High Level Committee for the protection works to be executed before the floods of 2008.8221; And that it send a report 8220;immediately to this office for taking necessary action.8221;

The same lines were repeated in two subsequent letters, dated April 25 and June 12. Copies of all three letters are available with the Indian Express.

Union Minister of State for Water Resources Jaiprakash Narayan Yadav says the Bihar government did not reply to any letter.

Bihar Water Resources Minister Bijeyndra Yadav acknowledged that no schedule of repairs or estimates of costs was submitted to the Centre. 8220;Kal bhej rahe hain We are sending it tomorrow,8221; he told The Indian Express over the phone. He said that 8220;anti-erosion work8221; was done.

Sources said local people chased away state engineers when they went to repair the breach on August 18, saying they would not now be allowed to do something they should have done earlier.