Bihar’s interests must be taken into account in Ganga water treaty: Samrat Choudhary

Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and other dignitaries released a pamphlet during a seminar on ‘Ganga Water Accord: Bihar’s Water Security’ on October 30, 2026 | Photo credit: ANI

Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Friday (Oct 30, 2026) said Bihar’s interests must be given top priority in matters related to Ganga water and the Farakka Treaty. He said this during a one-day seminar organized by the state water resources department titled ‘Ganga Water Treaty: Water Security of Bihar’.

He argued that the availability of sufficient water is essential for Bihar’s holistic development, agricultural expansion and industrial progress.

“The state requires water for drinking, irrigating agricultural land and running industries. Bihar’s interests must be given top priority in matters related to Ganga water and the Farakka treaty. The 25-year-old dispute between Bihar and Jharkhand over the sharing of water from the Sone river was resolved with the help of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who ensured that four M4 Bihar (3-3) received water,” Choudhary said.

He added that this is a great success towards better management of the state’s water resources. The Chief Minister also said that the state government has formulated a state-level policy for “silt management” and a scientific approach will be adopted to remove and utilize the silt mined from the Ganga and other rivers.

“Efforts will be made to make ganga silt and soil available for public use as well as for construction projects like roads and other infrastructure. An agreement will be signed between the Bihar government and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in the near future. There is also a need to develop a national level silt management policy,” said Mr. Choudhary said.

Emphasizing the construction and strengthening of dykes along the Ganges, the Chief Minister called for and acted on the need for scientific understanding of the flow and management of the river.

He suggested that experts participating in the workshop conduct an aerial survey of the Ganges to get a direct assessment of the river’s current state, flow and silt accumulation, enabling them to make effective recommendations.

Mr. Choudhary mentioned that the rivers of Bihar have huge potential for the state and new opportunities in agriculture, industry, infrastructure and employment can be created in them through proper management of water and silt.

“The state government aims to create employment and employment opportunities for one million people, a target in which optimal utilization of water resources will play a key role,” he said. Choudhary said.

He reiterated the commitment to transform Bihar’s rivers into the backbone of the state’s economic prosperity. He suggested that through scientific management of water resources, expert guidance and support of the Central Government, Bihar would be steered to new heights of development.

Published – 30 Oct 2026 18:57 IST