CM asks WRD to lift and store Ganga water in reservoirs to improve irrigation coverage

Patna: CM Samrat Choudhary on Friday directed the water resources department (WRD) to lift water from the Ganga near Sultanganj during the flood season between July and Oct and store it in Banka’s Badua reservoir and Munger’s Kharagpur reservoir to strengthen irrigation in the region. He said the initiative would ensure better water availability for farmers and improve agricultural productivity.

The chief minister also proposed routing the lifted Ganga water through the Badua reservoir and further diverting it to the Fullidumer, Madhyagiri and Bilasi reservoirs in Banka district’s Fullidumer block. Officials said that once implemented, the scheme would provide irrigation support to about 45,850 hectares across Banka, Bhagalpur and Munger districts through the Badua system, while an additional 5,310 hectares in Munger would benefit through the Kharagpur reservoir.

Choudhary added that the plan would enable 100% irrigation coverage across the designated command area of 4,204 hectares in Fullidumer and Amarpur blocks using the Madhyagiri and Bilasi reservoirs. The move is aimed at addressing water shortages caused by declining reservoir capacities.

A communiqué issued by the chief minister’s office (CMO) said climate change and irregular rainfall have significantly reduced storage levels, with the capacities of Badua and Kharagpur reservoirs dropping by 39.78% and 69.59%, respectively. As a result, irrigation coverage remains limited to 19,136 hectares against the designed target of 51,160 hectares.

To bridge this gap, the state govt plans to expand the Ganga Water Lift Project. Under the proposal, 15.02 million cubic metres of water will be lifted from a detention tank being built at Bijikhhorwa Irrigation Colony using three motor pumps. The water will then be transported through pipelines stretching 26 km with a 0.90-metre diameter and an additional 1.15 km with a 0.50-metre diameter to the designated reservoirs. The project is estimated to cost Rs 174.52 crore.

In addition, a larger project worth Rs 1,866.11 crore is underway to lift Ganga water near Sultanganj during the monsoon period and store it in the Badua and Kharagpur reservoirs to ensure assured irrigation. The chief minister instructed WRD officials to expedite the work and complete the project at the earliest.