Brahmaputra Board Enhances River Basin Management Strategies
Brahmaputra Board's 88th Meeting Highlights
A glimpse into the 88th meeting of Brahmaputra Board (Photo- @BBoard1982/X)
Guwahati, June 20: During the recent 88th meeting, Ranbir Singh, the chairman of the Brahmaputra Board, announced plans to enhance and update the master plans for the river basin in the region.
Singh mentioned that a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) was ratified during the meeting to facilitate the improvement of these master plans, ensuring that scientific and participatory methods are adopted across the states within the basin. This SOP will be forwarded to the Central government for further action.
Progress is being made on 15 river sub-basins that encompass Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Nagaland, with advanced surveys, modeling, and GIS-based planning currently in progress, according to a statement released.
Additionally, new packages for other river basins have been initiated, as stated in the report.
The Board also discussed a draft policy framework for the riverine islands of the Brahmaputra, which aims to foster sustainable development, ecological conservation, livelihood enhancement, and disaster resilience for communities residing on these islands.
This policy will be circulated among stakeholders for their feedback.
Furthermore, the Board reviewed the status of ongoing projects focused on integrated water resource development and management within the Brahmaputra and Barak basins. Key areas of focus include river basin master planning, flood and erosion management, springshed development, sediment management, and enhancing inter-state cooperation for sustainable water resource utilization.
The meeting also included a review of the ongoing study on soil erosion and flood management in the Barak basin, along with a comprehensive sedimentation study in the Siang and Dibang river basins, which is being conducted by IIT Guwahati.
The Board underscored the necessity for timely preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for areas at risk and stressed the importance of scientific sediment management and river stabilization initiatives.
Representatives from the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Central Water Commission, NITI Aayog, the Government of Assam, and other basin states attended the meeting, along with experts and stakeholders from various national institutions.