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Kalam for smart water management

Photo: PTI

Meeting young minds: Former President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam with school children during the 3rd Science Conference in Gaya on Thursday.

PATNA: A plan to integrate the river system in Bihar with the aim of preventing a recurrence of the Kosi deluge was mooted on Thursday by former President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam who is now on a visit to the State.

Speaking at the third Bihar Science Congregation at Bodh Gaya, Dr. Kalam touched upon how science and technology could help in bringing about a “smart” water management system which in turn would help reduce the severity of floods by fast disposal of flood waters besides ensuring storage of surplus water for future use.

Describing Bihar waterways as “a technological challenge”, Dr. Kalam underlined the importance of harnessing the ample water and managing it so that damage due to floods could be minimised.

“What Bihar needs is a major waterway covering a distance of 500 km, which will connect the whole State with all the canals. In addition, for making effective use of the total waterway potential existing canals and river water systems are required to be improved to make it into smart waterway systems,” said Dr. Kalam.

He said the smart waterway, which would have sufficient navigable depth and width, smooth bends and minimum siltation and conditions which would permit navigation throughout the year with at least 18 hours per day, would ultimately reduce road congestion besides improving environmental conditions and help prevent de-forestation.

According to him, the Ganga could not be used for irrigation in Bihar due to height difference as its level was around 70 metres above Mean Sea Level (MSL) and the ground on both the north and south rose to nearly 300 metres MSL.

“The solution for this is the networking of rivers and water bodies by running a waterway situated at a higher level by using the trapped water from the tributaries of the Ganga. This water can then be used for irrigation and drinking purposes,” said Dr. Kalam while suggesting that “the existing channels should be de-silted”.

“The creation of such a ‘smart’ waterway will act as an additional reservoir for the State besides providing irrigation facility to over 5 million acres of land and generate employment for 9 million people,” he said.

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