After sparring with the Centre over maintenance and repair of Kosi barrage, needed more so after the 2008 floods caused by Kushaha breach, the Bihar government — the executing agency of the Kosi Project of the Central government — has decided to go ahead with its Rs 1,205-crore plan for the barrage maintenance and renovation of eastern and western canal originating from the barrage point.

The state government will seek reimbursement of expenses from the Centre at a later stage. Sources in the Chief Minister’s Office said even after a successful breach plug at Kushaha, the government was hard-pressed to take repair and maintenance of the Kosi Barrage — also known as Bhimnagar barrage which is just five years away from completing its “technical lifespan of 50 years” — forward beyond floods.

Water Resources Minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav said: “Though de-silting at the barrage point upstream is a major concern, we first need to focus on the barrage and two canals for smooth water discharge downstream.”

However, experts are not convinced with the government’s piecemeal approach. Himanshu Thakkar, coordinator with South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers & People, a voluntary group, said: “With fast climate change and mercurial nature of Kosi, the barrage will not be feasible in the long run.”