Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Kosi River
Mains level: Not Much
PM has dedicated to the nation the historic Kosi Rail Mahasetu (mega-bridge).
Kosi Rail Mahasetu
- The Kosi Mega Bridge line project was sanctioned during 2003-04.
- The bridge is 1.9 km long. It is of strategic importance along the India-Nepal border.
- In 1887, a meter gauge link was built in between Nirmali and Bhaptiahi (Saraigarh).
- During the heavy flood and severe Indo Nepal earthquake in 1934, the rail link was washed away and thereafter due to meandering nature of river Kosi no attempt was made to restore this Rail link for long period.
- The dedication of the mega-bridge is a watershed moment in the history of Bihar and the entire region connecting to the North East.
About Kosi River
- The Kosi is a trans-boundary river which flows through Tibet, Nepal and India.
- The river crosses into northern Bihar, India where it branches into distributaries before joining the Ganges near Kursela in Katihar district.
- Its unstable nature has been attributed course changes and the heavy silt it carries during the monsoon season, and flooding in India has extreme effects.
- It is also known as the “Sorrow of Bihar” as the annual floods affect about 21,000 km2 of fertile agricultural lands thereby disturbing the rural economy.
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
