No dredgers, construction work hit in Bihar

Patna, Oct 6: Non-availability of dredgers had hampered construction of the pilot channel in Kosi near Kusaha embankment breach which had resulted in the catastrophic floods in North Bihar.

The Kosi Breach Closure Advisory Team(KBCAT) reportedly informed the state government about it recently asking it to immediately provide the dredging machines.

" The 1.75 km-long breach in Kushaha embankment has to be plugged before March-April.If the breach is not plugged before onset of next monsoon season, the state may face another catastrophe during the next rainy season. The plugging should be completed at any cost before April,'' the KBCAT said.

Expressing concern at the pace of the construction work, the team said the 'consequences' would be worse if the work was not done on war footing.

According to the team, it would be difficult to plug the breach till the water of the river Kosi receded. It suggested to make another channel to divert the water passing through the gap into the new channel which would facilitate the engineers to plug the breach.

The team said that the Centre had also been requested to send three dredgers for creating the other channel. The dredgers would also help in transporting the soil recovered from the new channel area to the site of the breach. A coffer-dam would be constructed near the mouth from where the river has changed its course but it would be possible only when the water receded.

UNI