The Bihar government will try to divert the course of the mighty Kosi River in Bhagalpur district to save an archaeological site discovered recently.

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Drainage System | Part 3

Kosi River: The Sorrow of Bihar

• 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.

Why change its course?

• Several priceless artefacts have been found at the Guwaradih village in Naugachhia sub-division of Bhagalpur district during the excavation of a mound.
• These items could be 2,500-years-old and could be of interest for historians if conserved.
• The historical sites are facing threats from the Kosi floods.
• The Kosi currently flows around 300-400 metres from the site, while its old course is about two kilometres from the village.

Threats posed by the move

• Environmentalists have warned that changing the Kosi’s course could be disastrous for Bihar as seen in 2008.
• At that time, the river had breached its mud embankments at Kushaha in Nepal.
• The Kosi frequently changes its course naturally. If its course is artificially changed, it will cause floods and erosion in new areas, leading to massive displacement of people.
• It then caused extensive damage to life and property downstream in five densely populated districts of northeast Bihar.
• Some 500 people were killed and four million rendered homeless.

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