Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday inspected the Kamla weir in Madhubani district and asked officials to prepare a plan to convert it into a barrage, which would increase the irrigation capacity and help farmers of north Bihar and the Mithilanchal region.
Kumar visited the weir built on Kamla river at Jaynagar along with Water Resources Minister Sanjay Kumar Jha, Chief Secretary Deepak Kumar and a host of other officials and engineers.
An additional irrigation capacity of 23,788 acres will be created in the command area after the Kamla weir is converted into a barrage, an official statement said.
A weir is a low dam or a small barrier built across a stream or river to raise the water level slightly on the upstream side.
Kumar also inspected the Jaynagar and Naruvar embankments.
While inspecting the embankment at 1.3 km point and 1.4 km point in Jaynagar along the Nepal border, Kumar directed the officials concerned to increase its height, besides carrying out iron sheet piling to strengthen it.
Inspecting the construction work of the Naruvar embankment on Kamla-Balan, Kumar said that steel sheet piling will strengthen the embankment and also protect the hamlets situated near it.
He also directed officials to carry out earth filling work to further strengthen the Naruvar embankment.
Madhubani District Magistrate Nilesh Devre informed the chief minister that compensations have been paid to the people whose houses were damaged due to the breach in the Naruvar embankment last year.
Kumar also directed the officials to maintain adequate storage of materials at important locations to carry out flood preventive measures in a better and effective manner.