Cabinet okays inclusion of Bihar's Kosi Mechi Intra-State Link Project under PMKSY-AIBP

The Cabinet has approved the inclusion of Bihar's Kosi Mechi Intra-State Link Project under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana-Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (PMKSY-AIBP) to enhance irrigation and flood management in the region. The project envisages diversion of a part of surplus Kosi water for extending irrigation to Mahananda basin in Bihar by way of remodelling existing Eastern Kosi Main Canal.

Estimated to cost Rs. 6,282.32 crore, the project includes Rs 3,652.56 crore as central assistance to Bihar and is scheduled for completion by March 2029.

Responding to a question during a media briefing after a Cabinet meeting, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said discussions with Nepal have taken place about the project and it is expected to have a major impact on flood management in Bihar.


Asked whether more such projects would be announced ahead of elections in Bihar, he said decisions were being made "for the entire country".

The Kosi Mechi Intra-State Link Project aims to divert excess water from the Kosi River to the Mahananda basin in Bihar. This will be achieved through the remodelling of the Eastern Kosi Main Canal (EKMC) up to 41.30 km and its extension to the Mechi River at 117.50 km.

Once completed, the project aims to provide additional irrigation to 2,10,516 hectares of farmland in Araria, Purnea, Kishanganj, and Katihar districts during the Kharif season.

It will also restore the shortfall supply to 1.57 lakh hectares currently irrigated by the existing EKMC system. Additionally, about 2,050 million cubic meters of surplus water from Kosi will be diverted to the Mahananda command area during monsoons.

The project is part of the broader PMKSY-AIBP initiative, which was launched in 2015-16 to expand irrigation coverage and improve water conservation efforts.

The scheme's Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme component focuses on major and medium irrigation projects, with the aim of ensuring water access for farmers.

Since April 2016, 63 projects have been completed under PMKSY-AIBP, creating additional irrigation potential for 26.11 lakh hectares. The Kosi Mechi project is the tenth to be included in the AIBP component since 2021.