Gajendra Thakur
A PARALLEL HISTORY OF MITHILA & MAITHILI LITERATURE- PART 25
**Politics of Embankments and Engineering Failure:** Mishra ji describes in detail how the political decision to build embankments on Kosi was made in the 1950s. The government initially talked about building a high dam at 'Barahkshetra' but ultimately chose embankments as a 'cheaper' option. Engineers cited examples from China's Hwang Ho and America's Mississippi to advocate for embankments, even though those techniques had already failed in those countries.
**'Between Two Millstones' The Public's Tragedy:** The book's title refers to the over 300 villages and about 1 million people 'imprisoned' between the eastern and western embankments of the Kosi. For these people, flood is not a seasonal event but a permanent curse. Inside the embankments, the riverbed is rising, making the flood's fury worse each year.
**Canal and Drainage Problems:** The eastern and western Kosi canals, built for 'irrigation', obstructed the natural drainage paths. This turned thousands of hectares into permanent waterlogged land.
**Inhuman Engineering:** Dinesh Mishra argues that the Kosi project was a 'man-made' disaster. Engineers failed to correctly estimate the Kosi's silt load. As silt accumulates inside the embankments, the river rises, making a breach inevitable. According to the author, this is not a solution but a postponement of the problem for the future.
**Political Interests vs. Public Welfare:** Mishra ji clarifies that the decision for embankments was 'political', not 'technical'. Leaders appeased the public by claiming embankments would end floods, ignoring the serious issues of rehabilitation and displacement. Research reports from Poona were manipulated under political pressure.
**The Endless Cycle of Displacement:** A major criticism is that the government forgot the people living inside the embankments. 'Rehabilitation' for them existed only on paper. Many times, people themselves, frustrated, cut the embankments to escape waterlogging.
**Lack of Alternatives and Corruption:** The book also criticizes the emergence of a large corruption syndicate (engineer-contractor-politician) in Bihar in the name of 'flood control' and 'relief'. The money spent annually on embankment maintenance could have been used for major infrastructure. The author advocates 'living with floods' and utilizing local knowledge, which the modern system has completely neglected.
'Dui Patan Ke Bich Mein' is not just a book; it is a cry exposing the historical injustice done to the people of Mithila. Dinesh Mishra clearly states that as long as we try to fight nature (Kosi) and 'imprison' it, we will not escape destruction. The book shows how despite building over 3,430 km of embankments, Bihar's flood-affected area increased. The lure of the 'Barahkshetra' dam was used to trap people between embankments, a punishment the people of Mithila are still suffering.
**Geo-scientific and Social Discourse of the Kosi Basin:** The hydrological structure of North Bihar and the place of the Kosi river in its socio-economic life has been central and controversial. In this context, Dr. Dinesh Kumar Mishra's book 'Dui Patan Ke Bich Mein: Kosi Nadi Ki Kahani' is a seminal work that not only analyzes the technical aspects of the river but also voices the cultural and human tragedy of the region. This book, written by Dr. Dinesh Kumar Mishra, a Fellow of the People's Science Institute (PSI), was released on May 14, 2007, in Patna by the Chairman of the Bihar Legislative Council, Prof. Arun Kumar. This book attempts to present a people-centric perspective on the technical and social dimensions of the annual floods in the Kosi basin, aiming to initiate a meaningful dialogue between politicians, bureaucrats, technocrats, and the affected public.
**Geo-scientific Uniqueness and Historical Context of the Kosi River:**
The Kosi river, often called 'Bihar's Sorrow', is considered one of the world's most challenging rivers due to its unique geomorphological characteristics. It is known for carrying a huge amount of silt, resulting in rapid changes in its course. Research shows that the area the Kosi traverses receives an average of 1456 mm of rainfall, making its flow and sediment management even more complex. Historically, the Kosi's flow used to spread over a vast fan-shaped plain, where it naturally dissipated its energy and spread fertile soil for agriculture.
Dr. Dinesh Kumar Mishra takes recourse to historical records to understand the character of this river. The book mentions that in the 12th century, King Lakshmana II built a dam on the Kosi, called 'Bir Bandh', for which the people gave him the title 'Bir'. Remains of this ancient embankment can still be seen in the Kosi area, showing that human efforts to control the river are centuries old. Similarly, accounts from 1354 describe the horror of the Kosi when Firoz Shah Tughlaq's army was returning from Bengal to Delhi; the army had to use rows of elephants and ropes to cross the river because the water's velocity was so high that heavy stones were carried away like straw.
**Hydrology and Sedimentation Problem of the Kosi Basin:**
The Kosi's biggest problem is its excessive sediment load. When the river emerges from the mountains into the plains, its slope decreases, reducing its carrying capacity and causing silt to deposit on its bed. This silt accumulation causes the river to keep changing its course. Modern embankment policy has interfered with this natural process.
| Major Hydrological Data of Kosi Basin | Details |
| :--- | :--- |
| Average Annual Rainfall | 1456 mm |
| Length of Eastern Embankment | 125 km (Birpur to Kopariya) |
| Length of Western Embankment | 126 km (Nepal's Bharadaha to Ghonghepur in Saharsa) |
| Number of Villages Trapped Between Embankments | 380 villages |
| Population Inside Embankments (2001 Census) | 9.88 lakh |
| Main Geo-scientific Challenge | Excessive silt load and course change |
**Dinesh Kumar Mishra: From Engineer to Flood Historian:**
Dr. Dinesh Kumar Mishra's personality and work herald a new paradigm in Indian river management. A graduate from IIT Kharagpur and doctorate holder from South Gujarat University, Mishra is fundamentally a structural engineer, but from 1984 onwards, he dedicated his life to studying North Bihar's rivers, floods, and irrigation. His major contribution has been through the 'Barh Mukti Abhiyan' (BMA), a network of over 700 village groups. This movement empowers communities to revive traditional, decentralized ways of living with floods and to re-establish their cultural ownership over rivers. Mishra argues that the current flood control policy based on embankments and large dams is like a 'silt-laden time bomb', ultimately proving catastrophic.
**Politics of Knowledge and Traditional Approach:** A significant part of Dr. Mishra's research focuses on the 'politics of knowledge'. He distinguishes between two main approaches to flood control: the modern hydrological approach and the traditional approach. The modern approach views the river merely as a watercourse and a resource to be 'tamed' through dams and embankments. In contrast, the traditional approach sees flood as a part of the life cycle and reacts accordingly. In Maithili culture and North Bihar's rural society, the river is seen as a 'mother', providing not only water but also shaping culture and communal life. Dr. Mishra notes that the colonial mentality, through engineering science, alienated communities from their rivers, establishing a relationship of control and management with nature for profit. His book 'Dui Patan Ke Bich Mein' vividly narrates this story of alienation.
**The Kosi Project and the Vicious Cycle of Embankments:**
The Kosi Project was initiated in 1954, aiming to protect the region from devastating floods and provide irrigation. Under this project, massive embankments were constructed on the eastern and western banks of the Kosi, largely completed by 1959. However, this construction created a new problem about 380 villages with nearly 1 million people became permanently trapped between these two walls.
**Tragedy Inside the Embankments:** The title 'Between Two Millstones' itself depicts the condition of people crushed between the eastern and western embankments. Dr. Mishra writes that these villages are spread across 13 blocks in 4 districts. For people inside the embankments, flood is an annual punishment. When the flood comes, it not only drowns their homes but also alters the size of their fields. Farmers returning to their land after the flood have to invest enormous labor and capital to clear the sand and silt layers, perpetually damaging their economic condition.
| Historical Death Rates in Kosi Region (1923-1946) | Number of Deaths |
| :--- | :--- |
| Malaria | 510,000 |
| Kala-azar | 210,000 |
| Cholera | 60,000 |
| Smallpox | 3,000 |
| **Total Deaths** | **783,000** |
These figures show that the region faced health challenges even before embankment construction, but the embankments exacerbated waterlogging issues, increasing, rather than decreasing, disease risks.
**Social Impact and Challenge of Displacement:** Embankment construction not only altered geography but also divided society into three categories: people trapped inside the embankments, those just outside the embankments, and those considered completely safe from flood impact. Dr. Mishra's research clarifies that embankments gave rise to 'regional environmental injustice' in North Bihar, where the risk and burden of floods were disproportionately placed on the most vulnerable sections of society, especially the Musahar and Mallah communities.
**Crisis in Agriculture and Livelihood:** Post-Kosi Project, agricultural activity has seen widespread change. Land productivity has been affected by silt accumulation, and the irrigation canal network often struggles with siltation. Farmers trapped inside the embankments are forced to live like refugees on their own land. In the words of one villager, "We have been serving a life sentence for 70 years." This desperation has led to large-scale migration of youth, leaving only the elderly and children in villages.
**Gender and Community-based Vulnerability:** The impact of floods also varies by gender. Dr. Mishra and other researchers note that women are most affected during floods due to their responsibilities for family care, food arrangements, and health challenges. For communities like the Musahars living in precarious settlements, lack of education and safe drinking water makes their situation even more dire during floods.
**Kosi in Maithili Literature and Cultural Identity:** Although Dr. Dinesh Kumar Mishra has written many of his works in Hindi and English, his sensibility is entirely connected to Mithila and the Maithili language. The essence of 'Dui Patan Ke Bich Mein' is to express the pain of Maithili society caused by the Kosi. Mishra is credited with writing the 'biography' of all of Mithila's rivers, including Kamla, Bagmati, Mahananda, and Bhutahi Balan.
**Videha and Maithili Intellectual Discourse:** In Maithili literature, the story of the Kosi is not just a geographical disaster, but a question of identity and existence. Literary magazines like 'Videha' and archives have prominently featured Mishra's work, showing that his research has become part of public literature as well as academia. His work is often seen as a powerful intervention against the bureaucrats and politicians who view the Kosi problem merely as a technical issue.
**Technical Failure of Flood Control and the 2008 Tragedy:**
The breach of the Kosi embankment at Kushaha, Nepal, in August 2008 is considered the biggest example of modern flood control engineering failure. Dr. Mishra had been warning for years that due to silt, the Kosi's bed was continuously rising, and embankments could not hold it for long. The 2008 event proved that even large structures like the proposed Kosi High Dam could not provide a long-term solution due to the silt problem.
**Search for Alternatives: 'Living with Floods':** Dr. Mishra not only critiques but also presents solutions. He advocates for reviving traditional knowledge and practices. Some of his suggested measures include:
- **Revival of *Ghat* and *Chachra*:** Using small seasonal dams and canals to safely drain excess water.
- **Adaptive Agriculture:** Using the silt deposited in fields after floods as fertilizer and choosing crops that can tolerate waterlogging.
- **Community Leadership:** Responsibility for flood management should be transferred from central bureaucracy to local village councils and communities.
**Conclusion and Future Path:** Dr. Dinesh Kumar Mishra's book 'Dui Patan Ke Bich Mein' is not just the story of the Kosi, but a serious analysis of the consequences of the modern development model. This book teaches us that harmony with nature, not conflict, is the only path to sustainable development. For the millions in the Kosi basin, the mill of 'Two Millstones' can only stop when policymakers and engineers learn to respect the river's autonomy and make affected communities partners in the decision-making process. The future of the Kosi lies not in raising embankments but in delivering justice to the millions who have lost their identity and livelihood within these structures over the past seven decades. Dr. Mishra's work is a torch in this direction, reminding us of the unbreakable bond between the river and its people that technology and politics have forgotten.
***Na Ghaat Na Ghar* Refugees of the Kosi Embankments (2008)**
**"Refugees of the Kosi Embankments" "Na Ghaat Na Ghar"**
**Kosi Tragedy and Displacement:** This is a document of the inhuman conditions and endless struggles of approximately 800,000 people from 380 villages who got trapped "inside the embankments" due to the embankments built on the Kosi river.
**Kosi River and Embankment Construction (1955):** The Kosi is known for its fickleness and course change. After the severe 1953 flood, the government decided to build embankments to control it. When the embankments were built, it was believed that areas outside would become safe, but no serious consideration was given to the fate of people trapped "inside".
**World Inside the Embankments:** For people living between the two embankments of the Kosi, flood is not a "natural disaster" but an "annual feature". Every year during the rains, their homes, fields, and livestock drown in the Kosi's water. They are forced to live like "refugees" in their own country.
**Failure of Rehabilitation:** The original 1953 plan had no mention of rehabilitating these people. When work started in 1956, discussions occurred. The government promised land and houses for rehabilitation, but in reality, many people did not receive land, and those who did lacked water, roads, and health facilities. Many thus returned inside the embankments to live with "death".
**Violation of Rights and Neglect:** Author Dinesh Kumar Mishra says these people were called "sacrifices for development", but society and government turned their backs on them. Inside the embankments, education, hospitals, and employment conditions are almost zero. Their economic backbone (agriculture) is ruined.
**Path to Solution:** The booklet questions whether embankments actually stopped floods. The reality is that even outside the embankments, water accumulates (waterlogging), while those inside are completely devastated. Through the "Barh Mukti Abhiyan", the author calls for an open debate and the restoration of people's rights.
**Conclusion:** This booklet is the plight of the "invisible population" of the Kosi region, forced to be homeless on their own land due to modern engineering and misguided government policies. It is a big question mark on the "development model" that, by destroying many, claims to protect a few.
***Bagmati Ki Sadgati* (2010)**
**Bagmati Ki Sadgati!**
**Bagmati Story: Mythological and Cultural Significance of Bagmati:**
- **Origin:** The Bagmati river originates from the Shivapuri mountain range, about 16 km north-east of Kathmandu, Nepal, at an altitude of about 2800 meters.
- **Mythological Tale:** According to the Skanda Purana, this river originated from the loud laughter of Lord Shiva. It is also called 'Vagvati' (River of Speech), which later became 'Bagmati'.
- **Center of Sin-Absolution:** The confluence of Bagmati and Vishnumati is considered extremely sacred. It is believed that Ravana worshipped Mahadeva at the Gokarneshwar Tirtha here. The Varaha Purana considers it a hundred times more sacred than the Ganga (Bhagirathi).
- **Symbol of Fertility:** According to a mythological story, the water of Bagmati has such fertile power that a Brahmin's staff sprouted after bathing in it.
**Geographical Course of Bagmati (in Bihar):** Bagmati enters India at Dheng (Shorwatia village) in Sitamarhi district, Bihar. Its total length in Bihar is 394 kilometers, and it ultimately meets the Kosi river near Khagaria. The author divides it into three sections: North Bagmati (Dheng to Khoiripakor), Central Bagmati (Khoiripakor to Kanauj Ghat), and South-East Bagmati (Hayaghat to Kosi confluence).
**River Shifting:** Bagmati is known for its fickleness and course change. According to surveys by James Rennell (1780) and William Hunter (1877), its flow path has changed historically.
**Silt Problem:** The river carries a huge amount of sand and soil. About 2 million tons of silt accumulate annually between Dheng and Hayaghat, raising the river's surface and forcing it to change course.
**Tributaries and Adhwara Group:**
- The main tributary of Bagmati is Lal Bakeya, which joins it at Khoiripakor.
- Lakhandei: This river flows through Sitamarhi town and is culturally significant as it is linked to Janaki (Sita)'s birthplace.
- Adhwara Group: A network of small rivers (Jhim, Khiroi, Rato, Dhouns, etc.) that ultimately merge into Bagmati near Hayaghat.
**Traditional Approach to Floods:** In Mithila's culture, flood was not always seen as a 'disaster'. People classified it as 'Boha' (normal flood), 'Humma', and 'Sah' (severe flood). Floods used to bring new fertile soil, making *rabi* crops 'bumper' without fertilizer. According to the author, the British started building embankments (dams) for commercial gain, turning the natural flood cycle into a 'tragedy'.
**Story of Flood Control Historical Perspective:**
Bagmati is a fickle river that keeps changing its course. Citing reports of 18th and 19th-century British officers, the author says the Bagmati's flood was sometimes a boon, as it made fields fertile through 'silt'.
- **Problems Arising from Railway and Road Construction:** When the railway network expanded in Bihar in the late 19th century, it obstructed the river's natural flow. The railway's high embankments and narrow bridges caused water to accumulate, making floods more severe.
- **The Embankment Debate:** There was a major debate among British engineers about whether to build embankments. The 1897 'Calcutta Conference' concluded that embankments would cause the riverbed to rise, creating a greater future hazard. However, embankments gradually gained advocacy due to commercial interests and administrative safety concerns.
- **Imitating the Post-Independence Kosi Model:** After independence, when embankments were built on the Kosi, pressure increased for similar schemes on the Bagmati. Work on Bagmati embankments began piecemeal in the 1950s.
- **Technical Failure and Changing Plans:** Several plans for Bagmati were made and revised. There were talks of separating it from the Adhwara rivers or building a 'barrage'. But no solid master plan was finalized.
- **Bagmati Project A Review:** After witnessing the Kosi's devastation in 1953-54, the government's attention turned to Bagmati. Initially, only 'small' schemes were discussed, but later it became a 'mega project'. The main objectives were to protect Sitamarhi, Muzaffarpur, Shivhar, and Darbhanga districts from floods and provide irrigation facilities.
- **Embankment Construction:** Embankments on Bagmati were built in phases, from Dheng to Khoiripakor and then in downstream areas.
- **Technical Oversights:** According to the author, local geography was neglected while deciding embankment alignment. Engineering was prioritized over the river's fickle nature.
- **Confluence of Lal Bakeya and Bagmati:** The design of the embankment at the confluence of Bagmati and its tributary Lal Bakeya had major flaws, increasing flood risk in that area instead of reducing it.
- **Neglect of the Adhwara Group:** The interconnection of small rivers like Lakhandei, Rato, Khiroi with Bagmati was overlooked, blocking natural drainage paths.
- **Displacement and Rehabilitation Problems:** Like the Kosi, several villages got trapped between the Bagmati embankments. Land was acquired, but no concrete rehabilitation policy was implemented, forcing people to live 'illegally' on their own land.
- **Corruption and Contractor System:** The chapter makes it clear that the Bagmati project became a hub of 'corruption'. Crores were spent on embankment construction and maintenance, yet breaches continued every flood season.
**The Bagmati Embankment A Dream:**
- **Expansion of Bagmati Project:** In the 1970s, a large master plan for Bagmati control was prepared. It aimed to build high embankments on both banks from Dheng to Hayaghat. The government claimed this would protect lakhs of acres in Muzaffarpur and Sitamarhi.
- **Incomplete Construction and 'Gaps':** Construction was never simultaneous and systematic. Many kilometers of embankment were left as 'gaps'. During floods, water gushed through these gaps with such force that it devastated surrounding villages.
- **Local People's Resistance:** Those whose land and homes fell 'inside' (river side) due to embankment construction strongly opposed it. At several places, there were violent clashes between police and people. They argued that the embankment made their lives even more insecure, as floodwater now stagnated in their villages for longer.
- **'Retired' and 'Surplus' Embankments:** To correct engineering mistakes, the administration adopted the method of building another 'retired embankment' behind the old one. This further wasted land and worsened the farmers' situation.
- **Corruption 'Flood':** According to the author, Bagmati embankment construction and maintenance became a 'golden goose' for engineers and contractors. Weak sections of the embankment would break annually in floods, leading to the embezzlement of crores in the name of repairs.
**Canal and Irrigation A Mirage:**
- **Dream of Bagmati Barrage and Canal:** A major part of the Bagmati scheme was 'irrigation'. A plan was made to build a barrage at Dheng in Sitamarhi district and take out eastern and western canals from it. The government claimed this would provide perennial water to lakhs of hectares in Sitamarhi, Muzaffarpur, and Shivhar, boosting yields.
- **Serious Problem of Silt:** Like the Kosi, Bagmati also carries a huge amount of 'silt' (sand and soil). When water was released into the canals, sand began accumulating in the canal bed. The reduced depth made it difficult for water to reach fields. Now, the canals have water, but it is useless to farmers.
- **Waterlogging and Swamps:** The canal network completely disrupted the region's 'natural drainage'. Rainwater, which previously drained into the river, now gets trapped in fields due to canal embankments. Thousands of acres of fertile land turned into 'chaurs' and swamps, making farming impossible.
- **'Reh' (Salinity) Problem:** Prolonged waterlogging led to the accumulation of 'reh' (salinity) on the soil surface, rendering fertile land barren. Where once 'gold' was produced, now even grass struggles to grow.
- **Administrative Corruption and Neglect:** Crores are spent annually on canal cleaning and gate repairs, but the ground situation worsens. In many places, the canal structure is broken, causing water to flood entire villages.
**World Inside the Embankments:**
- **'Prisoner' Population:** The embankments on both sides of Bagmati trapped several villages in between. According to the author, for these people, flood is not a natural disaster but a 'permanent imprisonment'. When water rises in the river, these villagers leave their homes and take refuge on the embankments.
- **Deception of Displacement and Rehabilitation:** The government promised to relocate people inside the embankments to safe places outside and give compensation. The reality is that corruption occurred in the name of rehabilitation. Many received no land, and those who did lacked basic facilities like water, roads, and schools.
- **Dismal Education and Health:** Schools in villages inside the embankments either wash away or teachers cannot reach. In case of illness, the only means to reach a hospital is a 'boat'. Many patients die before reaching the hospital.
- **Social and Economic Exclusion:** The administration considers people inside the embankments as 'neglected'. Their agriculture is completely uncertain. Conflicts often occur between people inside and outside the embankments, as those outside fear that those inside might cut the embankment for their own safety.
- **Administrative Insensitivity:** Government officials consider their duty done by distributing 'relief' during floods. There is no concrete policy for the permanent development of these villages.
**Flood, Politics, and Administration:**
- **Flood and Election Connection:** According to the author, flood has become a 'political opportunity' in North Bihar. Leaders do aerial surveys during floods, make grand promises, but everything is forgotten once the flood recedes. Distributing flood 'relief' has become a tool for building vote banks.
- **Economy of Relief:** 'Relief' has become a large 'industry'. When flood comes, crores of rupees flow from the government treasury in the name of grain, *chura-gur*, and polythene sheets. A large portion goes into the pockets of contractors, middlemen, and corrupt officials. Only a 'token' reaches the public.
- **Administrative Negligence:** 'Pre-flood preparedness' exists only on paper. Substandard materials are used in embankment repairs, causing them to break in the first flood. When an embankment breaks, the administration washes its hands by calling it a 'divine disaster'.
- **Game of Government Data:** Government data minimizes losses to reduce compensation. Conversely, relief material expenses are inflated.
- **Making People 'Dependent':** The author argues that instead of making people self-reliant (e.g., fixing drainage, new farming techniques), the government has made them dependent on 'relief'. This is destroying people's self-respect, making them wait for government aid each year.
**Embankments and Public Resistance:**
- **Public Outrage against Embankments:** When people saw that embankments were causing their fields and villages to flood more, they organized and protested. In many areas of Bagmati, people formed 'anti-embankment struggle committees'. They argued that the embankments were not blocking the river but the 'development' of the people.
- **Incidents of Cutting Embankments:** There are many instances where, during floods, when villages started drowning, people were forced to cut the embankments to protect themselves. This was considered a 'crime' legally, but for the people, it was a struggle for survival. This widened the gap of distrust between the administration and the people.
- **Movement from Muzaffarpur to Sitamarhi:** In the 1970s and 80s, large public meetings were held in the Bagmati region. People demanded more 'sluice gates' and bridges to drain the trapped water behind the embankments.
- **Political Neglect and Suppression:** Instead of listening to the people, the government and administration viewed the movement as a 'law and order' problem and tried to suppress it. Leaders stood with the people during elections but sided with engineers and contractors when making policies.
- **Demand for Technical Alternatives:** People and local activists demanded *'Bauari Bandh'* (ring bunds) and restoration of natural drainage. They advocated for 'small', local solutions instead of 'large embankments'.
**Where is the River's 'Sadgati' (Liberation/Good Ending)?**
- **Current State of Bagmati:** The author says Bagmati is no longer a free river. It has been 'imprisoned' by embankments and barrages. Where floodwater used to make fields fertile, now 'waterlogging' and 'sand' (silt) are permanent problems.
- **Mirage of the 'High Dam':** The author warns against the talk of building a large dam in Nepal's 'Terai' region. He argues that due to Himalayan geology (earthquake zone) and heavy siltation, a large dam would be unsafe. Such a dam could cause even greater devastation in the future, rather than stopping floods.
- **Harmonizing Local Knowledge and Technology:** Emphasis is placed on 'traditional water management'. People of Mithila have always managed water through 'chaurs', 'ponds', and 'pyne'. Modern engineering must learn from this traditional knowledge. Instead of damming the river, its 'natural flow' must be restored.
- **A New Model of Development:** According to the author, 'Sadgati' is only possible when we understand the rights of the river. We need to rehabilitate people trapped between embankments, improve drainage, and develop the art of 'living with floods' instead of fighting them.
- **Final Call:** The author says Bagmati's liberation is only possible when the government, engineers, and people collectively respect the river's natural nature. If we kill the river, the river will also kill our civilization.
In the geographical and cultural structure of North Bihar, rivers hold the highest place. The life, agriculture, festivals, and tragedies of this region revolve around rivers. Dinesh Kumar Mishra's book 'Bagmati Ki Sadgati!' is not just a history of a river, but a document of that cruel model of modern development that, abandoning people's traditional knowledge, sowed seeds of destruction in the name of 'technical solutions'. This book details the journey of the Bagmati river from its mythological sanctity to its current 'Sadgati' (which is ironic).
At the beginning of the book, the author describes the Bagmati as it was ingrained in the public psyche. Originating from the Kathmandu valley in Nepal, this river washes the feet of Pashupatinath before entering the Bihar plains. In Mithila's culture, the Bagmati is considered no less important than the Ganga. The author notes that earlier, Bagmati was a 'free' river with no fixed path. It sometimes flowed with the currents of the 'Adhwara' group, sometimes changing its course to create new wetlands.
A large part of the book focuses on the history of embankments built on the Bagmati. According to the author, the idea of embankments started during British times, but even they considered it dangerous given Bihar's terrain. After independence, in the name of 'flood control', the Government of India erected walls of cement and earth (embankments) on both sides of the river. The author argues that:
- The embankments narrowed the river's width.
- The 'silt' brought by the river, which used to spread over fields and make them fertile, now accumulates on the riverbed.
- Consequently, the river's surface has risen above the land, making the flood risk many times greater than before.
The author terms the condition of villages trapped between the embankments as 'living hell'. Under the Bagmati project, several villages came under the embankment enclosure. During the rains, when the river swells, these people are cut off from the world. No education, no health, no safety. The author questions whether these people are not citizens of India?
Mishra ji, with an engineer's eye, highlights the technical flaws of the Bagmati project. He writes about how the Gamhariya barrage and other canal systems became mere tools for filling the stomachs of contractors and politicians. Where government reports show acres irrigated, on the ground there is only waterlogging and swamps.
The author's criticism is poignant: for us, 'development' only means concrete. In the context of Bagmati, development meant damming the river. But the author uses statistical data to prove that while the flood-affected area in Bihar in 1954 was a certain amount, it multiplied after the embankments were built. This is the biggest proof of the failure of 'modern engineering'.
Dinesh Kumar Mishra's book advocates for reviving Mithila's traditional water management systems (ahar-pyne, ponds). According to the author, the ancestors of this region knew how to deal with floods. They welcomed floods because they brought new soil. But 'modern development' treated floods as an 'enemy' and invited destruction in the attempt to stop them.
The book does not just talk about the river, but about the society that was evicted from its land. Many stories of displacement pain and the duplicity in rehabilitation are compiled here. In the author's view, the embankments not only changed the geography, but also destroyed the mutual brotherhood and customs of society.
The author's style is satirical and factual. He brings out the truth buried in departmental files. The book fearlessly depicts how the government machinery embezzles crores in the name of 'relief' and how flood has become an 'annual festival' where everyone from leaders to engineers gets rich. In the context of the Bagmati river and its embankments, the 'red stick' marks the danger point, beyond which the administration and engineers declare a flood. But in the book, this is not just a technical tool, but a symbol of the fragmentation of power and system that tries to control the river's natural truth with its 'red stick'. This stick decides who is called 'flood' and what is 'normal'. But for the river, a stick holds no value. When the stick signals danger, a new game of corruption begins in the name of 'relief and rescue'. Here, the word 'security' changes its meaning to 'exploitation'.
'Bagmati Ki Sadgati!' is not just the story of a specific region, but offers a perspective to understand the ecological systems worldwide that are tampering with rivers.
अपन मंतव्य editorial.staff.videha@zohomail.in पर पठाउ।