Manjhi reiterates demand for Sone-Falgu interlinking

Gaya: Expressing concern over the groundwater situation in Gaya and the lack of adequate water recharge sources, Union MSME minister Jitan Ram Manjhi has reiterated his demand for interlinking the Sone and Falgu rivers to ease the district’s water problems.Gaya, it may be recalled, does not have a single perennial river. While the Falgu flows sub-surface, the water retention capacity of the Morhar and Jamune rivers remains poor. These rivers largely run dry during the non-rainy season and, as such, interlinking the Falgu and Sone rivers is expected to go a long way in addressing water-related issues in the district.Speaking at a function late Saturday evening, Manjhi assured people he would ensure the river inter-linking project is completed.

“The interlinking will bring qualitative improvement in the lives of the people,” said Manjhi.Earlier as well, during CM Nitish Kumar’s visit to Gaya a few weeks ago as part of his Samriddhi Yatra, Manjhi had raised the demand for Sone-Falgu interlinking. However, Kumar did not respond to the demand at that time. Undeterred by the lack of response, Manjhi has continued to press for the project.According to observers in Gaya, mechanised and deep sand mining in the Falgu river has eroded its sub-surface water retention capacity, making the case for interlinking with the Sone river even stronger. Experts have also favoured a ban on sand mining in the Falgu river.The Ganga water, meanwhile, is not transferred to the Falgu river. Instead, it is stored in a reservoir on the eastern outskirts of the city and subsequently supplied to Gaya and Bodh Gaya.