Flood control measures particularly in North Bihar and parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh would be a priority area of his ministry, he told PTI here."A ministry office will be opened in Nepal which will liaison with that country to check menace of floods which bring vast amount of devastation in the region every year," he said. The grid would take care of release of additional water to areas facing water shortage from the surplus water areas in time of need to maintain a regional balance of water utilisation , he said.

"A task force will be constituted soon to monitor progress of water resources development projects, particularly the irrigation programmes in Bihar'', he said.