PATNA: For the first time in an advance move, the state government has prudently started works on large scale with hundreds of labourers maitaining social distancing prior to the flood with a twin objectives - to complete the flood protection schemes and to provide employment to the labourers in Bihar amid the lockdown.
This move has engaged a good number of migrants and labourers in creating employment opportunities in an organised way. In the current year 2020, works on 393 schemes have a target to be completed by May 15 before the flood starts wrecking havoc in North Bihar's flood-prone districts.
State Water Resources minister Sanjay Kumar Jha, "With the commencement of works of these flood protection schemes, many workers have also found employment at the time of coronavirus pandemic while following the social distancing norms at work."
He said that all the 393 schemes would be completed by May 15 following the CM Nitish Kumar's directive before the arrival of monsoon in various flood-affected areas on priority basis.
Jha claimed that the water resources department is using the best modern technology in breach-closure and anti-erosion works under flood control operations with constant surveillance and monitoring of works by senior officials.
According to secretary Sanjiv Hans, anti-erosion works are going on at Kosi river - Bagjan, Naugachiya, in Bhagalpur in full swing by labourers and engineers. The stretch of 8.70 km of eastern Kosi embankment are also being covered with strongest anti-erosion works. "Amid the lockdown, engineers, agencies and labourers are going all out for protection of river embankments in Bihar," Hans said.
In Bihar, eight districts - Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi,Sheohar, East Champaran, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Supaul and Kishanganj - are highly flood prone districts wherein lakhs of people are displaced every year by flood.
The four rivers namely Bagmati, Kamala balan, Kosi and Gandak caused flood with heavy torrential rains in the catchments of Himalaya in Nepal side.