The survey of six river linking schemes in the state will be completed this year. These include about 15 rivers. Due to the interlinking of rivers, the water coming during the flood will be divided. This will also provide protection from floods and increase the irrigation potential. If everything is fine in the survey and work is done on these river linking schemes, the farmers of about one and a half dozen districts i.e. half of the state are likely to get direct benefits.

These mainly include Begusarai, Samastipur, Sheohar, Sitamarhi, East Champaran, Jehanabad, Gaya, Nalanda, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Muzaffarpur, Saran, Siwan, Gopalganj, Vaishali, Purnia, Katihar, Kishanganj and Araria districts. Recently, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had directed to start work on river linking schemes soon. On his instructions, a team of engineers of the Water Resources Department is engaged in this work.

According to sources, the water level in these six rivers has been assessed in the last summer, now the water coming in the rivers will also be assessed during the floods. Also, if the rivers are connected with each other, how long the water will be able to remain in it will also be assessed. At the same time, an account of the technical aspects, cost, command area of ​​irrigation from those rivers will also be prepared, including the way to connect the rivers.

The second major plan includes the Bagmati-Belwadhar-Budhi Gandak link scheme. Under this scheme, by reviving the Bagmati Dhar (Belwa-Minapur link channel), construction of embankments on both sides of the channel and through the head regulator located at Belwa, the water of the Bagmati river is to be transferred to the Budhi Gandak river. With this, the target is to create additional irrigation potential in about 1.43 lakh hectares.

Kosi-Mechi Link Project, Falgu-Paimar Link Scheme, Bagmati-Belwadhar-Budhi Gandak Link Scheme, Gandak-Chhadi- Daha-Ghaghra Link Project, Gandak-Mahi-Ganga Link Scheme and Trishula-Balan Link Scheme are included.

The Kosi-Mechi link project is the biggest among all these six river linking projects. The state government has demanded from the central government to give recognition to the national plan. With the status of a national plan, the central government will bear 90 percent of the expenditure in this scheme. At the same time, the state government will have to bear 10 percent of the expenditure. Under the scheme, the Kosi-Mechi main link canal will be found at Kishanganj in the Mechi river after passing through km 41.30 of the East Kosi main canal in Araria district and covering a distance of 76.20 km.

Formal approval has been received in all respects including environment from the concerned departments of the Central and State Governments. With the completion of this scheme, more than two lakh 15 thousand hectares of four districts of Seemanchal, Purnia, Katihar, Kishanganj and Araria will get irrigation facility as well as relief from floods.