‘No surplus water for river plan’

‘‘The efforts of the National Water Development Agency in preparing such exhaustive schemes are praise-worthy but the schemes need to be modified…to make them acceptable to Bihar,’’ the report says.

It also says that the needs of North Indian states, which are deemed as surplus states, should be fulfilled first.

It further adds that the NWDA schemes do not show any concern for Bihar’s ‘‘sufferings’’ and the floods.

The report says Bihar does not want to miss the ‘‘interlinking’’ bus. It suggests the need for major improvements and modifications to the schemes. The report has recommended that the focus be on water resource development like flood moderation and adequate water flow during the lean period in the Ganges and not just on transferring of water to the South and West.

It says that when it comes to the use of Ganga water, Bihar is at a disadvantage with UP using most of the water and the rest reserved for West Bengal and Bangladesh.

The plan is to divert water westwards from the tributaries of Ganga by the Yamuna Rajasthan Link Canal, Sarda Yamuna Link Canal and Ghaghra-Yamuna Link Canal. This plan, the report says, must be changed and the full requirement of Bihar must be fully assured before diverting Ganga basin water to the West and transferring Brahmaputra basin’s water entirely to the South.

The report also says Bihar should be associated with the planning, execution and operation of reservoirs on the rivers flowing through the state. The report suggests a number of technical adjustments to the link canals and projects planned by the NWDA. It says that the seasonal water requirements of all its basins should be fulfilled before water is transferred to other parts of the country.