SAHARSA, Sept. 13 -- The long-standing demand of thousands of people living in Kosi division for a- 4-lane highway on eastern Kosi embankment is set to take shape. The secretary of the Water Resources department (WRD) Chandrashekhar Singh has directed the lok Pradhikar- cum- chief engineer (CE), Flood Control and Drainage, WRD in Birpur (Supaul) to review and take necessary action towards the ambitious project. During the hearing of appeal through videoconferencing, WRD secretary not only appreciated the appellant Amit Anand, a Saharsa based RTI activist but also directed the CE, flood control and drainage WRD Birpur to review and take necessary steps. The technical survey is being undertaken to prepare the initial report in this regard. CE flood control and drainage WRD Birpur, Sanjeev Shailesh while confirming the report told HT over phone, "Now the project is in early stage," adding "This will facilitate not only traffic but also help strengthen embankment reducing the chances of breach." He declared the project quite ambitious. The appellant Amit Anand who was present during the hearing appreciated the WRD secretary for his promptness and hoped the project once completed would be able to script the prosperity of Kosi region. "There is already a service-road from Birpur (Supaul) to Kursela (Katihar) which can be upgraded to 4-lane highway," Anand said adding "The eastern Kosi embankment passes through Supaul, Saharsa, Madhepura and Khagaria and touches Katihar - these flood affected districts and the 4-lane road on embankment will mitigate the severity the flood related devastation and usher in new era of development for the region." The total length of eastern Kosi flood embankment is approximately 144 kilometers and it stretches from Chakarghati in Nepal down to Koparia and it was constructed to control seasonal flooding along the eastern side of the Kosi river. Founder secretary Kosi Sewa Sadan, Saharsa, Rajendra Jha (75) who has been working for the flood affected people in Kosi has welcomed the initiative of the government. "These days concrete dams are built everywhere and the construction of the 4-lane highway from Birpur to Kursela will strengthen and reinforce all the spurs including the embankment, which will virtually eliminate the risk of erosion of the eastern Kosi embankment," he said. Meanwhile, the proposed four-lane highway along the eastern Kosi embankment has rekindled hope among flood-affected people, for whom floods have been a way of life for decades....