Kosi River "EMPOWER IAS"

In news:

• The Bihar government will try to divert the course of the mighty Kosi River in Bhagalpur district to save an archaeological site discovered recently.

 

About Kosi River:

• The Kosi River is a trans-boundary river, running across important cities in Bihar and Nepal.
• The Koshi River System includes some rivers that have their sources in the self-governing territory of Tibet in China. These rivers include the Sun Kosi, the Arun, and the Bhote Kosi.
• The Kosi River is famous for being one of the biggest tributaries of the Ganga (or the Ganges).
• Tributaries –Tamakoshi or Tamba Koshi,Sun Kosi,Indravati,Dudh Kosi,Arun,Likhu,Tamur.
• It is also known as the “Sorrow of Bihar” as the annual floods affect about 21,000 km2 of fertile agricultural lands thereby disturbing the rural economy.

 

 

Need and significance:

• The river Kosi is an international river originating from Tibet and flowing through Nepal in Himalayan Mountains and the lower portion through plains of North Bihar.
• To overcome the acute problem of shifting of course of Kosi river, heavy sediment load, flooding etc. and to alleviate the severe suffering of the people of Bihar, the then His Majesty’s Government of Nepal and The Government of India signed an agreement on 25th April 1954 for implementation of Kosi project. The present proposal is an extension of Eastern Kosi Main Canal (EKMC) system upto river Mechi, a tributary of river Mahananda.
• The aim of extension of EKMC upto Mechi river is mainly to provide irrigation benefits to the water scarce Mahananda basin command in the districts of Araria, Kishanganj, Purnea and Katihar during kharif season depending upon the pondage available in Hanuman Nagar barrage.
• This intrastate link scheme will thus transfer part of surplus water of Kosi basin to Mahananda basin. In view of irrigation benefit from the link canal, the project is fully justified.

 

Why change its course?

• Several priceless artefacts have been found at the Guwaradih village in Naugachhia sub-division of Bhagalpur district during the excavation of a mound.
• These items could be 2,500-years-old and could be of interest for historians if conserved.
• The historical sites are facing threats from the Kosi floods.
• The Kosi currently flows around 300-400 metres from the site, while its old course is about two kilometres from the village.

 

Threats posed by the move

• Environmentalists have warned that changing the Kosi’s course could be disastrous for Bihar as seen in 2008.
• At that time, the river had breached its mud embankments at Kushaha in Nepal.
• The Kosi frequently changes its course naturally. If its course is artificially changed, it will cause floods and erosion in new areas, leading to massive displacement of people.
• It then caused extensive damage to life and property downstream in five densely populated districts of northeast Bihar.
• Some 500 people were killed and four million rendered homeless.