Bihar

• 13 Apr 2023

Roads & Bridges to be Constructed in Flood Affected Area under 'Kosi Basin Development Project'

Why in News?

According to the information received from the media on 11 April 2023, during the financial year 2023-24, roads and bridges-culverts will be constructed under the 'Kosi Basin Development Project' with an amount of Rs 277 crore to strengthen the living standards of the flood-affected people of Kosi.

Key Points

• It is to be known that the work of the second phase of the World Bank-supported Kosi Rehabilitation Scheme was to be completed in March 2023. But only 72% work has been done so far, due to which the work of the second phase of the Kosi Rehabilitation Scheme has been given an extension of 15 months. Now this scheme will be completed by June 2024.
• The state government has planned to rebuild Kosi after the Kushaha Devastation. Under this, the World Bank has funded 67% while the Bihar government has funded 33% to get the Kosi region and its people out of the tragedy and for development.
• Under the first phase of this scheme, the Bihar Kosi Basin Development Project was started on 15 September 2010 with the help of the World Bank, under which the development work in 21 blocks of Saharsa, Supaul and Madhepura was completed on December 31, 2018.
• It is known that on 18 August 2008, a large population of 441 villages of Northeast Bihar, including 34 villages of Nepal were inundated after the Kosi dam was washed away after the Kosi River had changed its course in a length of about two kilometres near Kusaha village of Nepal. According to official statistics, 41 people died in the Saharsa district, 272 in Madhepura and 213 in the Supaul district.
• Only 72 percent of the work of the second phase of the Kosi Basin Development Project has been completed at this time, there is no possibility of the remaining 28 percent of the work being completed in three months. Therefore, it has been decided to expand this scheme.