Nitish demands dialogue with Nepal on flood problem

Patna, Aug 5 (UNI) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today urged the UPA Government at the Centre to start dialogue with the Nepal government for a permanent solution to the annual flood problem in the state.

Rain waters from neighbouring himalayan kingdom flood Bihar's many districts and take life and cattle heads in every monsoon.

After an aerial survey in the flood hit Begusarai, Samastipur and Bettiah, Mr Kumar told reporters that he would urge the New Delhi to start a dialogue with Kathmandu to tame waters at that side so that Bihar did not suffer in every monsoon.

Mr Kumar said he would raise the matter before the Union Home Minister, who is likely to visit the state to review the flood situation. He said the government would also hand over a memorandum to the visiting minister, for which the authorities were assessing the exact dimension of the damages caused to the standing crops and other infrastructure in the flood.

He said in view of the massive loss, the subsidy of Rs 4,000 per hectare to the marginal farmers, whose crops were damaged in the flood water, would be insufficient and the state government would demand additional financial aid from the Centre.

He admitted the dearth of food grains in Bihar and demanded more supplies of food articles from the Centre at the market rates.

During his visit to the flood affected areas, he directed the autorities to keep strict vigil on the vulnerable points on the embankments in Bagha. He said four helicopters were engaged in airdropping of the relief material and added he was personally monitoring the relief work.

UNI