Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar did a Bhagirath on Sunday by inaugurating the “Ganga Jal Apoorti Yojana” or Ganga water supply scheme for Rajgir.

He asserted that it would provide relief to the people from their daily struggle for potable water.

He will launch the scheme in Gaya and Bodh Gaya on Monday, while Nawada city will start getting its benefit early next year.

“Gangajal will now reach every household in Rajgir. Every person will be given 135 litres daily. You will be able to drink and do other work from it.

“There is no need to depend on groundwater now. Do not extract it. It is the reason behind many problems,” Nitish said after inaugurating the scheme in Rajgir.

Under the scheme, excess water in the Ganga will be diverted from Hathidah in Patna district during the monsoon season with the help of an intake well, three pumps and a pipeline to three reservoirs developed at Rajgir, Gaya and Bodh Gaya.

The stored water will be sufficient for the entire year. The underground steel pipeline is 151km long and special filters have been used to check silt from the river entering it.

Water purification plants have been established at Hathidah, Rajgir, Nawada, Gaya and Bodh Gaya to treat the water diverted from the Ganga.

The purified water will be supplied as tap water to the households.

At present, the state government has decided to provide 135 litres daily to every person in each household in these cities.

The scheme has kept population growth in mind and will be viable for the people living in these areas till 2051.

Speaking on the occasion, Nitish stressed on the historical importance of Nalanda and said that it was an international seat of learning in ancient times.

A new Nalanda University has been established along the lines of the ancient one. Nalanda happens to be the native district of the chief minister and he recounted the development works done there, especially in places connected with Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism.

The chief minister accused the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) of not developing the akhara (wrestling arena) of ancient king Jarasandha despite several requests by the state government.

“We have now decided to acquire land around the akhara and build a memorial of Jarasandh,” Nitish added.

Water resources minister Sanjay Kumar Jha asserted that the Ganga water supply scheme was a unique and historic achievement with no parallel in the country.

“The scheme will help control floods by diverting excess water from the Ganga.

“The water table in Gaya, Nalanda, Nawada has gone down around five metres over the last five to seven years.

“This scheme will lead to a decrease in groundwater use and help conserve the water table. The water reservoirs will help recharge groundwater,” Jha said.