Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary inaugurated the 68-km Belwa–Minapur link channel in Sheohar. The channel is part of the Bagmati–Budhi Gandak River Interlinking Project and is intended to divert surplus water from the Bagmati river to the Budhi Gandak river to reduce flood stress in north Bihar while supporting irrigation.
The state government presented the project as both a flood-management work and an agriculture-linked asset. The inauguration was described as part of a broader strategy of integrated water resource management for Bihar.
Background and earlier position
North Bihar has long faced recurring flood-related disruption, especially in river-basin districts where excess monsoon water and river siltation strain embankments, settlements, and farmland. River-linking and canal projects have therefore been used in Bihar as instruments for flood moderation, irrigation support, and groundwater recharge.
Choudhary said river interlinking reflects the vision associated with former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and is being pursued under Prime Minister Narendra Modi as part of the state’s long-term water strategy.
What changed now
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