Will complete projects on time, Bihar CM tells PM

PATNA: Chief minister Nitish Kumar assured PM Narendra Modi that the state government would complete all the central government’s projects launched by him on time. The PM inaugurated and laid the foundation for seven projects related to Namami Gange, urban infrastructure and safe piped drinking water for rural and urban areas through videoconferencing on Tuesday.
Nitish managed to extract a smile from the PM at the function while telling him about the queer practice seen among the rural people of the state after piped drinking water facilities had been provided in their villages. Nitish, smiling and rather embarrassingly, said the villagers had been seen washing their buffaloes with the piped drinking water meant for them!
At this, the PM could not resist his smile. Nitish took the opportunity to tell the PM to reconsider the decision to supply piped safe drinking water to people for 24 hours, suggesting thereby that water so supplied could be misused by the villagers, like for washing their buffaloes!
“The 24-hour supply of water will also adversely impact environment. The supply of water should be for adequate time, but attention should also be paid to protecting the environment,” Nitish said, obliquely pointing out that it could lead to depletion of the underground water resources. The suggestion from the CM appeared to go well with the PM, who nodded his head in unison.
Saying that the sewage treatment plants being constructed under the Namami Gange project to treat the dirty water from the drains in towns would help in improving the quality of Ganga water, Nitish also said that “only treated water should be allowed to flow into the river”.
He appreciated the development of riverfront along Burhi Gandak at Muzaffarpur and also said the Centre and the state government together had improved the riverfront at Patna.
The CM said the people of Bihar had somewhat become aware of the need to keep the rivers clean and also its judicious use. He said before launching the Jal Jeevan Hariyali (JJH) project in the state, his government had organized human chain to solicit their involvement in the project.
“As many as 5.16 crore people formed the human chain that was 18,000km-long,” he said.
Nitish had earlier informed the PM about the impurity of the Ganga water by citing his childhood experiences at Bakhtiyarpur, 60km away from Patna, when he used to bathe in the Ganga, drink its water and also bring home a bucket full of it. “It cannot be done today, because water of the river has been polluted beyond use,” he said.
Earlier, deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi presented statistical details of the works done and achievements made under urban renewal and the Namami Gange projects, which the PM also referred to in his speech.