GANDAK PRJECT

GANDAK  IRRIGATION SCHEME

1.         Name of the Project/Scheme  :-          Gandak Project

2.         Nature/ Type of Scheme         :-          Barrage

3.         Purpose                                   :-          Irrigation and Power

4.         Location                                  :-

(i)             Latitude        -           27⁰26' &  Longitude- 83⁰56'

(ii)           River                         - Gandak

(iii)         Sub- basin     - Gandak

(iv)         Basin             -  Ganga

(v)           Village/ Town- Valmikinagar

(vi)         District          - West Champaran

(vii)       State              - Bihar

5.         Brief Description:-The Gandak Irrigation and Power Project is an international major Project involving and benefiting Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in India and Terai area of Nepal .

Significant development in the field of irrigation took place in India during 19^th Century and several major irrigation Schemes were constructed. These Projects played very important role and still continue to serve the area. These are considered the landmark in the field of irrigation Engineering. In Bihar also two major irrigation Projects were constructed during British period. Sone canal Project comprising an anicut at Dehri on River Sone and Triveni Canal at Triveni Ghat in Gandak. This was an inundation Canal taking off from the left bank of River Gandak near Bhaisalotan (Re-named as Valmikinagar). The first Project Report was prepared in Bihar in the year 1871-72, which was dropped   because of the Engineering difficulties anticipated during that time. Another Proposal was formed during the year 1874 which was sanctioned in 1896-97 and completed in 1910 making any diversion at Triveni Ghat for Irrigation of command of Triveni Canal.

The origin of the Gandak Project in its present form lies in the initiative taken by Honourable Dr. Rajendra Prasad. After the second world war and the partition of the country, the importance of increased agricultural production came to be realised fully and Dr.Rajendra Prasad, the then Minister-in-charge, food and Agriculture, Government of India, requested the Government of Bihar in 1947 to investigate the possibilities of taking out Canals from the Gandak so as to provide irrigation to large tracts of Canal in Saran, Champaran, and Muzaffarpur district of Bihar and Deoria and Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh. The investigation of present existing structure was started in the year 1947 and its first Project Report was initially formulated in the year 1951. A committee under the Chairman ship of Dr. A.N.Khosala  of  CWPC ,New Delhi for negotiation with the Government of Bihar ,U.P. and Nepal , the present Gandak Project Scheme conceived  .As a result of that agreement  between the GOI and HMG Nepal on this Project was signed on 4^th December 1959. After inclusion of this Mega Project in  the list of Centrally aided Project the work on this Project was taken up by the Government of Bihar in third five year Plan.

Person Associated with the Project    :-

(i)                 Dr. Rajendra Prasad, President of India

(ii)               Pt. Jawahar Lall Nehru, Prime Minister of India

(iii)             Dr. A.N.Khosla, C.W.P.C., New Delhi

(iv)             Sri A.C.Mitra, C.E., Irrigation, U.P.

(v)               Sri. P.C. Agrawal, C.E., Irrigation, U.P.

(vi)             Sri. B.K.Pradhan, Director General, Irrigation, H,M.G., Nepal.

(vii)           Mr. N.K.Agrawal, Deputy director general, Irrigation, H.M.G, Nepal

(viii)         Mr. Gunanand Thakur, Regional director, Irrigation, H.M.G., Nepal

(ix)             Mr. Ram Kishore Thakur, S.E., Irrigation, H.M.G., Nepal

(x)               Sri Y.K.Murti, Chairman C.W.C., India

(xi)             Sri N.N.Jha, Joint Secretary, Ministry of external affairs, GOI.

(xii)           Sri K.C.Goyal, Member, C.W.C., India

(xiii)         Sri Kamala Prasad, Irrigation Commissioner of Bihar

(xiv)         Sri A.K.Sinha, C.E., Gandak Project, Bihar.

(xv)           Sri K.V.Rama Rao, Director, C.W.C., India

(xvi)         Sri. H.J.Desai, Deputy Secretary ,Irrigation Ministry of India

(xvii)       Sri R.G.Sahu, S.E., Gandak Project, Bihar

(xviii)     Sri A.S.Bhasin, OSD, Ministry of external affairs, India

(xix)         Sri. S.N.Sahay, Executive Engineer, Gandak Project, Bihar

(xx)           Sri S.K.Bhatia, Deputy Director, C.W.C., India

(xxi)         Sri G.P.Sahi, C.E., Gandak Project, Bihar.

(xxii)       Sri Gokul Prasad, C.E., Gandak Project, Bihar.

7.         Date of commencement          - 1963-64

Date of completion                 - 1967-68

8.                  Cost of the Project-

(i)                 Initial Project cost- Rs.52.03 Crore

(ii)               First revised estimate cost in the year 1978- Rs.363.97 Crore

(iii)             Second revised estimate cost in the year 1990- Rs.623.09 Crore.

(iv)             Expenditure on the Project- Rs.412.09 Crore

9.                  Benefits envisaged- Attached

10.      Benefited Area- Attached