Patna (Bihar) [India], October 17 : Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Saturday met and welcomed a team undertaking a cycle expedition—themed "Prakriti hi Prabhu hai" (nature is god)—starting from Janakpur Dham in Nepal, passing through various states of India, and heading towards Dehradun in Uttarakhand, according to the Bihar Chief Minister's Office (CMO).
The team, which arrived under the leadership of environmentalist Padma Bhushan Anil Prakash Joshi, praised the work done in the field of environment in Bihar by the Bihar government and CM Choudhary, stating that Bihar is working in a unique manner in the field of environment in the country, which will prove to be very useful for the coming generations of Bihar.
During the meeting, the CM said, "I welcome Dr Anil Prakash Joshi, and all members of the team. I extend my best wishes to you for undertaking this journey to carry the message of water conservation, environmental enhancement, river rejuvenation, and environmental awareness to the masses."
He said that after the Bihar-Jharkhand partition, Bihar's green cover area was left at 6 per cent. Under the leadership of former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and revered late Sushil Kumar Modi, Bihar has rapidly carried out water conservation and plantation work over the last 20 years.
"I am happy to share that Bihar's green cover area has now increased to 15 per cent. Earlier, the irrigated land of Bihar was 21 lakh hectares, which has now increased to 44 lakh hectares," he stated.
He added that although there was 32 per cent less rainfall this year, flood conditions arose in Bihar due to water coming from Nepal, "We are working on a permanent scheme to manage the water of the Gandak, Kosi, and Ganga rivers. An agreement has been reached between Bihar and Jharkhand regarding the sharing of Son River water. We will construct the Indrapuri Barrage and link the Son River water to the Falgu River."
Choudhary said that the rural roads of Bihar are very good. Electricity has been supplied to all households, and uninterrupted power supply is being provided to the people 24 hours a day. Development works in Bihar are being carried out rapidly, but the pace of development is being maintained in balance by linking it with the environment. Rural women of Bihar are moving rapidly towards self-reliance. 1 crore 81 lakh women are associated with self-employment. 50 lakh women have been made "Lakhpati Didis", and 60 lakh "Pashu Sakhis" are being created. Our target is to skill all women of Bihar by 2030. If the village economy improves, the state's economy will improve, the CMO stated.
The Chief Minister said that work is being done rapidly on eco-tourism in Bihar. Schemes have been formulated to promote green energy in Bihar, and work is being carried out effectively on them. An action plan has been formulated regarding water management in Bihar so that Bihar's water is utilised properly. 
He further concluded by welcoming the group, saying, "We welcome all your suggestions regarding the environment and Bihar's development. It is a matter of joy for us that you have all come to Bihar. We wish you a safe and pleasant journey."