PATNA, Oct. 31 -- Chief minister Samrat Choudhary on Friday made a strong plea for the state's rightful share of Ganga water, linking it directly to the state's agricultural expansion, industrial growth and overall development goals. Addressing a seminar on 'Ganga water treaty: Water security of Bihar' organised by the water resources department (WRD) here, the CM said Bihar's rivers and water resources must be treated as the state's biggest strength, not a weakness. "If we succeed in converting our weaknesses into strengths, nothing can stop Bihar from becoming a prosperous state," he said. Choudhary said the state required adequate water drinking purposes, irrigation for farmers and running industries. He specifically flagged issues related to Ganga water-sharing and the Farakka agreements, insisting that the state's interests must get top priority in any future arrangement. The seminar assumes added significance as the 30-year Ganga water treaty signed between India and Bangladesh in December 1996 is due for renewal in December this year. Choudhary also referred to the long-pending Sone river water dispute with Jharkhand. He said the nearly 25-year-old issue had been resolved with the intervention of home minister Amit Shah, under which Bihar would get three-fourths of the water. He described it as an important step towards better management of the state's water resources. Regarding the nagging issue of silt in rivers, Choudhary said the state government had already framed a state-level silt management policy. Scientific removal and utilisation of silt from the Ganga and other rivers would be ensured for public use and infrastructure works. An agreement with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) would be signed for this purpose, he added. He also stressed the need for a solid national policy on silt management. This demand is not new. During Nitish Kumar's tenure as CM, Bihar government had organised a series of events, including national-level workshops, to press the Centre for a comprehensive national policy on silt management. Experts on river resources were also engaged to push for systematic desiltation of the Ganga and other rivers so that their flow remained uninterrupted. Calling for stronger embankments along the Ganga and scientific river management, Choudhary suggested that experts attending the seminar should be taken for an aerial survey of the river to help them assess the actual flow patterns and silt accumulation and offer practical suggestions. "The government aims to create employment opportunities for one crore people, and optimum utilisation of water resources would play a key role in achieving that target. Our resolve is to make Bihar's rivers the foundation of the state's economic prosperity," Choudhary declared. Deputy CMs Vijay Kumar Choudhary and Vijendra Prasad Yadav, MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, senior officials, engineers and water resource experts attended the seminar. WRD secretary Chandrashekhar Singh welcomed the CM, who also released a souvenir on water security. Ramakar Jha, senior professor of the department of civil engineering, NIT, Patna, made a presentation on the issue. A short film on flood and water management was screened during the programme....