Kolkata, April 12, 2018.

 

The first Regional Conference of Eastern States on Water Resources is to be held in Kolkata on Monday, April 16, 2018 to address outstanding water issues of these states. Union Minister of State for Water Resources Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal will participate in the conference which will be attended by Minister of Charge of Water Resources, Principal Secretary and Engineer-in-Chief of Water Resources and senior officers of the department of five Eastern states of Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal.  The Chairman of Central Water Commission will also address the conference. The conference will also seek to find ways and means to mitigate outstanding Intra and Intra-Basin issues relating to water resources.

 

West Bengal has issues like Ganga-Padma erosion, Ghatal Master Plan with an estimated cost of Rs.1238 .95 crores for the first phase, non-availability of Central grant under flood management program for the ongoing flood management projects, pending issues with DVC, Ministry of Power etc. pertaining to unified and scientific control of all the reservoirs, erosion on the banks of river Bhagirathi and non-availability of 100 % central grant for 19 number of anti-erosion work executed near the international border with Bangladesh during 12^th Plan period and all these will be raised.

 

All the other four states are also having issues like these in addition to inter-state issues like those of Jharkhand with West Bengal regarding revision of Mayurakshi-Siddheswari-Noonbeel agreement for utilization water of Mayurakshi river and Siddheswari-Noonbeel river, Barakar-Damodar-Subarnarekha link etc. and so the day-long conference is an important one. The issue of interlinking of rivers will also come-up for discussion.

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