Vijendra refutes Centres charges on flood protection measures

Patna, Aug 30 (UNI) Bihar Water Resources Minister Vijendra Prasad Yadav today rubbished the Centres allgation on failures of the state government in taking flood protection measures to prevent breach in Kushaha embankment on the Kosi river.

Mr Yadav told newspersons here that the allegations levelled by the Union Minister of state for Water Resources Jaiprakash Narayan were baseless as the state government had taken the flood protection measures as per the recommendation of the high power Kosi Committee.

All the flood protection measures on eastern embankment were completed before June 15 and it was duly informed to the Centre by our engineers, he added.

Earlier Mr Narayan had allaged that the state government failed to take preventive measures to check the floods and also did not keep the Centre informed about inherent danger on Kushaha based Kosi embankment which breached on August 18 leading to inundation of vast areas in several districts in north Bihar.

''How can a Union Minister make baseless statement on such sensitive matter without being aware that such correspondence does not take place at ministerial level'', Mr Yadav wondered.

'' Repairing works of the breached Kosi embankment would begin in November as the water level recedes while steps were being taken to check the further erosion of the embankment which is damaged at the stretch of 1.87 Km in Kushaha'', Mr Yadav said.

He also cautioned the people as some vested intrests were trying to exaggerate the casualties.

'' It is being said that Supaul district has been totally washed away by floods while actually only four of its 11 blocks were affected'', he informed.

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