Bihar’s water resources minister Sanjay Kumar Jha on Tuesday wrote to union minister for ports, shipping and waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, requesting him for appropriate action to prevent silting in downstream Ganga in the state and the damage caused by the operation of cargo ships in the river near Ismailpur Bindtoli embankment in Bhagalpur district.

Days earlier, chief minister Nitish Kumar had raised the issue during a review meeting with of water resources department.

“Since 2019, Bihar’s water resources department has been requesting Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) to look into floods and erosion around Ismailpur Bindtoli embankment,” Jha wrote, adding he has urged the Centre to fix the route and impose speed limits for operation of ships in the area, as heavy cargo ships could pose a threat to embankments.

Last week, the first cargo ship in Ganga, MV Lal Bahadur Shastri, was flagged off in Patna for Pandu in Guwahati via Bhagalpur. The vessel, carrying food grains, will sail through Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers before reaching its destination.

“The CM has always spoken for the need to ensure seamless flow of Ganga. However, no concrete steps have been taken by the Central government for effective silt management even after five years of the comprehensive silt management policy envisaged by the CM,” Jha has written.

He has also reiterated the problems caused by Farakka barrage due to excessive silt deposits along the 445-km stretch of the Ganga in Bihar.

The minister said the district administration of Bhagalpur had to stop the operation of a ship in the Ganga last year due to severe erosion in the riverbank areas. “Movement of cargo ships causes waves, ranging from one metre to 1.5 metres in height, in the river, posing serious threat to erosion prevention work, flood protection mechanism, embankments and spurs. For their safety, there is a need to ensure that the ships in the river be operated from the old edge and with the prescribed speed limit,” he wrote.