Kosi: The Sorrow of Bihar

From the memory of November 19, 2023 ??

While traveling through the Kosi belt of Bihar this morning for the auspicious Chhath festival, I was traveling from Supaul to Darbhanga to catch a train back to Tata Institute of Social Sciences Mumbai. It was a beautiful landscape to see and capture in our eyes and memories forever. However, everything that looks beautiful from the landscape, like water and the green landscape soothing to the eyes, is actually not beautiful when seen from the eyes of people residing in the Kosi River belt. ??

During the season of heavy rains and in the heat of summer, when the glacier melts and the flow of water increases in the Kosi River, it causes heavy flooding in the areas, along with problems of life and livelihood. Often, people residing in this area have temporary houses, and they used to move to a higher place to evade flooding during these times. They often lose their crops, livelihoods, and sometimes lives as well. ??

There are many public health concerns as well. The flooding leads to the formation of breeding grounds for mosquitoes; it also contaminates sources of drinking water and leads to water-borne diseases like diarrhoea, typhoid, dysentery, food contamination, etc.; and vector-borne diseases like malaria, dengue, etc., which in turn leads to further expenditure on health. Due to a lack of trust towards existing government medical setup such and high cost burden on pocket availing treatment at private clinics with a qualified Doctor, people turn to readily available quacks (i.e. non-registered medical practitioners), they often turn to them and incur heavy out-of-pocket expenses due to wrong treatment given or mere supression of symptoms leads to aggravating the underlying disease. There are various social issues arising out of this, like the wastage of productive agricultural lands, girl-child marriage, and Intra/Interstate migration (which is aided by many other factors as well). Often, people accept this as their destiny rather than questioning the governments that ruled the state after independence and couldn't find a solution to this chronic issue. ??

A country like Japan, which lies in geographical ring of fire with high seismic activity, volcanic and tsunami-prone zone, has managed to make advances and engineering milestones to fight the natural forces. It's high time we, the people and government, made efforts to neutralize the impact of the Kosi River, which is rich in water, and the region, which is highly productive and can solve the problem of food globally and support water-intensive industry in the region. It's high time we act and solve this problem. ?????

The Sorrow of Bihar (Kosi River) should become a cradle of growth for the people of Bihar. If a state like Bihar, with a population of around 1/11th of the country, lags behind, it will drag the growth of the country to a lower level in the long run. The way forward in this regard is:

1. Making canals and channels to streamline the flow and proper desilting of these channels before, during, and after the rainy season. ??

2. Further interlinking this river with the dead river and using these channels to develop a water-based transportation system. ????

3. Nature tourism can grow around this area with proper investment and security. ????

4. Agri-based and water-intensive industries have a promising future in this region, and this would further change the fortunes of people living in this region. ????

As it will increase the income of people in the Kosi region and reduce the crime rate and sand mafia, they will be regulated, and some registered enterprises only get the contract for desilting, mining, and selling of sand. The fortunes of people can be changed only if there is political will and people are going to vote on issues that are of social importance rather than caste, creed, or religion. It's your call; now make this one count. ??????