'Farakka Dam' responsible for spate in river Ganga: Nitish Kumar

NEW DELHI: Amid apprehensions of flood waters entering into Patna town, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today said silt deposited in Ganga after the construction of Farraka Dam was responsible for spate in the river and asked the Centre to remove the dam or come out with a 'Silt Management Policy'. "The current flood situation has been caused by siltation of river Ganga. This situation is the result of silt getting deposited in Ganga after construction of Farakka dam. The only way to remove silt from the river is to remove the dam," Kumar told reporters after the review meeting on flood situation here. If the central government has any other option (other than removing the dam), then it should start working on it, he added. In his Independence day address too, Kumar had raised the issue saying that the depth of river Ganga had reduced following the silt deposition in the river due to construction of dam at Farakka. Stressing that Ganga has become shallow due to siltation, Kumar said "I have consistently been raising this issue for the past 10 years. I had raised the issue when Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister and now I am raising it before the Narendra Modi government." Due to siltation in the river, the depth of Ganga river has reduced and water spreads to the adjoining areas in the event of rise in the water level, he said. "I appeal to the Government of India to prepare a policy on silt management. The central government should consider it after taking stock of the situation...It should come out with the mechanism or wayout to prevent silt getting deposited in the river Ganga, otherwise it could prove to be a terrible situation in years to come," Kumar said.