Patna (Bihar) [India], September 10 (ANI): JD(U) MP Sanjay Jha on Thursday said that Bihar’s share of water should be restored keeping in mind the state’s growing population and needs, alleging that the 1996 treaty with Bangladesh had caused injustice to Bihar.
Jha said that when Lalu Yadav was the Bihar Chief Minister, the state’s share of water was given to Bangladesh.
"Injustice has been done to Bihar from the very beginning when there was a Congress-supported government here. At that time, Lalu Yadav was the Bihar CM, and back then, our share of water was given to Bangladesh... At that time, Bihar's population was 7.25 crore, but today Bihar's population has doubled. Considering Bihar's needs, Bihar's share should be given to it...", Jha told ANI.
He further described the 1996 treaty as “one-sided” and alleged that it had caused injustice to Bihar.
“This treaty should be terminated. It should not be renewed,” the JD(U) MP said.
Meanwhile, Purnia MP Pappu Yadav on Wednesday raised concerns over the worsening flood situation in Bihar, claiming that around 55 lakh people across 22 districts are facing difficulties due to the floods.
Yadav said the crisis has affected people across economic sections, with the lower middle class, middle class and poor all struggling to cope with the situation. He said the flood-affected belt stretches from Buxar to Manihari, while several parts of Bhagalpur, Patna, Begusarai and Munger are also partially inundated.
Describing the situation in Patna as particularly serious, Yadav said only around 4-5 km of highland could be seen in the city. He said people were facing difficult conditions at various ghats, where women were sleeping on floors while animals remained surrounded by floodwater.
“Whichever ghat you go to, you’ll find women sleeping on floors, animals in water, and fodder has become wet,” Yadav said, highlighting the difficulties being faced by people who have been displaced or forced to stay in flood-hit areas.
Earlier on Tuesday, Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary detailed the government's response to intense flooding caused by sudden water surges upstream in Nepal and Tibet.
Emphasising Bihar's geographical vulnerability as a lower riparian state, Chief Minister Choudhary highlighted both the immediate emergency measures deployed to protect lower riparian districts and long-term infrastructural DPRs (Detailed Project Reports) focused on river interlinking and dam construction.
Speaking to ANI, Choudhary outlined immediate rescue operations and long-term river infrastructure projects designed to mitigate recurring inundations.
"Look, there are continuous flood risks, and two major rivers are the primary source of flooding. There are also other rivers such as the Budhi Gandak, Bagmati, Kamala, and Mahananda. The situation we recently observed in Nepal involved a sudden flood surge that directly impacted Bihar," he said.
The Bihar CM further highlighted that the State authorities deployed National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams to evacuate approximately 20,000 residents stranded in high-risk riverbed areas, relocating them to safer grounds and operating community kitchens for two to three days to supply essential meals to displaced populations until water levels stabilised.
"The first step we took was deploying NDRF and SDRF teams to evacuate people from the riverbed areas. We evacuated approximately 20,000 people who were located along the riverbeds, brought them to safer locations near the forest areas, and operated community kitchens for two to three days. The situation has gradually settled down since," he added. (ANI)
"Bihar’s share of water should be restored considering state’s needs": JD(U) MP Sanjay Jha
