Bihar Launches First Silt Management Policy to Combat Floods

Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary announced the Bihar Water Source Restoration and Silt Management Policy 2026, making Bihar the first Indian state to implement a comprehensive framework for silt management. The policy aims to mitigate recurring floods caused by water discharge from Nepal and other neighboring regions by restoring the water-carrying capacity of rivers.

As part of this policy, the Government of Bihar and the Government of India signed a Memorandum of Understanding in New Delhi to launch the Nadi Sanjeevani initiative. The program will repurpose approximately 83.5 million cubic metres of river silt for use as primary construction material across 27 national highway projects. The National Highways Authority of India will implement the scientific desilting process, with 24.3 million cubic metres of silt provided free of cost for 16 ongoing projects.

Choudhary noted that silt has accumulated up to 10 metres in several rivers, contributing to annual flood losses estimated at Rs 10,000 crore. To support the effort, the state will provide Rs 20,000 per two hectares to farmers for excavating sand from inundated fields. The Chief Minister also urged Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to consider a Public-Private Partnership expressway project along the banks of the Ganga to reclaim over 100,000 acres of land.