Patna: The Bihar government on Monday held a high-level review meeting to assess the situation in North Bihar, where scanty rainfall this monsoon has raised concerns over drinking water, electricity supply, and Kharif crop irrigation. The meeting was chaired by Development Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary of the Disaster Management Department, Pratyaya Amrit.
While South Bihar has received satisfactory rainfall, North Bihar continues to report deficient precipitation. Officials from 16 northern districts, including Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Purnia, and Madhubani, joined the meeting via video conferencing. Key issues reviewed included rainfall trends, crop coverage, canal irrigation status, electricity availability, groundwater levels, and access to drinking water.
The Development Commissioner directed district officials to ensure prompt resolution of drinking water and power issues, warning that negligence by any departmental officer would result in strict action. He emphasised that villages must receive uninterrupted electricity, especially at least 14 hours daily for agricultural feeders, to support irrigation efforts.
The Public Health Engineering Department has been instructed to install new hand pumps wherever required and repair non-functional ones based on recommendations from district officers. Ensuring water reaches the tail end of canals was also identified as a critical priority.
The review was attended by senior officials from the Agriculture Department, Water Resources Department, Public Health Engineering Department, Bihar State Power Holding Company, and the Disaster Management Department.
The state government reaffirmed its commitment to providing swift and effective relief to the affected districts, acknowledging the urgent need to mitigate the impact of scanty rainfall on agriculture and essential services in the region.
