Demolish Farakka Barrage, says author of book on Gangetic rivers
Patna,(BiharTimes): “To save north India from repeated floods the government should take immediate step to dismantle Farakka Barrage. It has not only destroyed Malda and Murshidabad districts of West Bengal but has become the most important cause of perennial flood in Bihar and even Uttar Pradesh,” Ranjeev, co-author of ‘Jab Nadi Bandhi’told BiharTimes in an exclusive interview on Monday.
Supporting chief minister Nitish Kumar’s statement he said just desilting of rivers is not enough. Farakka Barrage should be removed forthwith. It caused more harm than benefit. It has lost its utility.
Ranjeev, who along with Hindi journalist Hemant, penned the book on behaviour of Gangetic rivers some two decades back, holds climate change responsible for the erratic monsoon. This is happening globally.
“What is ironical is that this part of Bihar is facing threat of flood when there is scanty rainfall. In fact half of Bihar is reeling under drought. It is heavy downpour in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand, which is causing flood in Ganga, in which water of at least 35 big rivers fall. This is not to speak of a large number of small rivers and rivulets,” He added.
He agreed that the challenge is enormous yet the government would have to take drastic decision on Farakka. He came down heavily on the Narendra Modi government for its thoughtless policy in dealing with rivers like Ganga.
“When we face the annual challenge of flood the Cemtre is planning to build more barrages in Uttar Pradesh and other upper riparian states. We have not learnt from the past. We are talking of inland waterways when the rivers have become so shallow because of non-stop silting, especially because of barrages like the one in Farakka,” Ranjeev said.
He is not alone. Other experts too blame the successive governments in the Centre and state for the plight of the people of flood-prone regions of the country.
They are of the view that it is the rain-fed rivers from south like Sone, Punpun, Phalgu etc which are wreaking havoc. The snow-fed Himalayan rivers like Kosi, Mahananda, Gandak, Burhi Gandkar, Kamla, Balan, Bagmati etc are relatively calm though at places they have shown their true colour.
“If it starts raining heavily on the foothills of Himalaya in Nepal these rivers would pose a much bigger challenge. Thank God both north and south Bihar rivers are not rising simultaneously. In that situation the whole state would be devastated,” Ranjeev concluded.
