Symposium on Flood; CM Seeks Central Assistance
Patna: Dec. 9, 2007
 Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, while attending a seminar on the recurring flood problem in Bihar organized by the Bihar Jan Vikas Manch at the Patna Planetarium on Sunday, said the only way to effectively combat the annual devastation caused by flood was to develop innovative schemes, seek help from the Center, and involve Nepal in a bilateral talk that presents a win-win situation for both nations.
"The same water that is dumped by Nepal in Bihar causing immense destruction and misery in Bihar each year could be harnessed in producing energy that would eventually be economically profitable for both Bihar and Nepal. However, to achieve this, both the Central government and the Nepal government must get involved in the process as Bihar alone could not solve the issue all by itself," Kumar said in his speech.
 Kumar, however, expressed his doubts in finding a permanent solution to the flooding problem in Bihar. "We can try to minimize its impact and for which the government has initiated a number of schemes as well but without the assistance of the Central and Nepal government, it would be very difficult for the state to find a permanent solution to this annual predicament," he said.
Water Resources Minister Ramashraya Prasad Singh, in his speech, blamed the previous Lalu-Rabri government for ignoring the flood situation in Bihar for so long.
"In the last three Five-year Plans, the center and the state governments did not show any interest in finding a permanent solution to this problem. The Nitish government, however, is very serious in finding a solution and has prepared and sent a number of short and long-term plans to the Central government," Singh said.
Presiding over the seminar, former Bihar Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra also talked about the need to strengthen embankments in Bihar. "Without these embankments, districts like Purnia, Kishanganj, Madhepura, and many others would not even exist on the map today," said Mishra.
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