Taming the Kosi: No money, no will

NEW DELHI: Taming the mighty Kosi has so far appeared nearly impossible. Experts say the reason is not only the sheer enormousness of the task, both physically and financially, but also the low priority accorded to something as "routine" as floods.
Since 1956, governments at the Centre and in Bihar have paid regular flood-time lip service to the dream of constructing a series of high dams on the Nepal side and the need for an agreement on this with Nepal.But not one dam has been properly visualized so far.
The Bhimnagar barrage, which falls in Nepal, was constructed by India in 1956 with an estimated lifespan of 30 years. In the 22 years since the barrage's "expiry date", the Kosi has breached the manmade barrier several times but engineers say its latest fury ��� since August 18 ��� has been the worst in recent memory.
A senior Bihar irrigation engineer, who has worked in the region for years, said the situation is catastrophic because the breach is almost 3km-long and is expanding by about 200 metres a day.
"The barrage is now merely 12km from the breach spot. Given the Kosi's characteristic fury, it is not impossible that the in-spate and marauding river breaches the barrage itself. If that happens, it will be a devastation of an unprecedented scale. The surging waters of the roaring giant that Kosi has become would simply drown huge portions of Supaul, Saharsa, Araria, Madhepura, Katihar and Purnea districts. And, these would include human settlements," he said.
Another expert maintained that successive governments can continue talking of the promised dams but Nepal isn't really interested because its countryside is relatively safer than India (Bihar). "If Kathmandu was keen and so was New Delhi, some semblance of forward movement on the promise would have happened by now. Do not forget that the promised dams are
not just about Kosi but over a dozen rivers that enter Bihar from upside Nepal, all eager to meet the Ganga. Nothing is more devastating that surging river waters," he said.