Brahmaputra Board Develops Comprehensive Plans for River Management in NE & North Bengal
Click to start listening
Synopsis
The Brahmaputra Board is developing master plans for 70 rivers to manage water resources effectively. Focus areas include erosion control and silt removal. Recent meetings have approved projects aimed at improving river management in northeastern states and northern West Bengal, addressing past flood damages.
Key Takeaways
- Brahmaputra Board is managing 70 rivers.
- Master plans focus on erosion control and silt removal.
- New projects were approved during the 84th meeting.
- Feni river master plan worth Rs 3.5 crore approved.
- Plans developed in response to last year’s devastating floods.
Agartala, Feb 28 (NationPress) The Brahmaputra Board, functioning under the Union Jal Shakti Ministry, has recognized 70 rivers within its jurisdiction. Master plans are currently in development or have been finalized to enhance the management of these rivers, focusing on erosion control and silt removal, according to senior officials.
The 84th assembly meeting of the Brahmaputra Board was convened in Agartala, where strategies for managing rivers in the northeastern states and northern West Bengal, part of the Brahmaputra basin, were deliberated.
Following the meeting, Brahmaputra Board Chairman Ranbir Singh stated that various initiatives for the advancement of nine river basins under their authority were discussed, along with the approval of new projects.
“The Brahmaputra Board is committed to the effective management of regional water resources. Efforts are ongoing for preventing river erosion and removing silt in accordance with established master plans,” he informed the press.
During the meeting, the board sanctioned a master plan worth Rs 3.5 crore for the Feni river, which flows from southern Tripura into Bangladesh.
The board also approved revisions to previously sanctioned master plans for the Gomti and Muhuri rivers in Tripura.
Chairman Singh emphasized that under these master plans, studies and analyses of all three major rivers in Tripura would be carried out, followed by necessary recommendations for interventions.
He further added that the master plan would be developed in light of the severe floods that affected Tripura last year, aiming to reduce risks associated with heavy rainfall.
In the catastrophic floods and landslides of the previous year, at least 38 lives were lost, with a total of 58,687 homes damaged, impacting approximately 1.7 million people. Around 400,000 individuals were relocated to safer shelters, with 889 relief camps established by the government.
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha noted that the devastating floods inflicted damages estimated at around Rs 15,000 crore.
During the Brahmaputra Board meeting on Friday, representatives from all nine basin states, which include eight northeastern states and one from West Bengal, were in attendance.
Officials from the Union Jal Shakti Ministry, who are members of the Brahmaputra Board, were also present. As a statutory board, the Brahmaputra Board is tasked with managing water resources in northeastern India and northern Bengal.
Established by the government of India in September 1980, the Board is responsible for planning and implementing measures aimed at controlling floods and bank erosion within the Brahmaputra valley and related matters.
The Board's duties cover the entire Brahmaputra and Barak Valleys, including all northeastern states and the northern region of West Bengal that falls under the Brahmaputra Basin.
