Agartala: The Brahmaputra Board, under the Union Jal Shakti Ministry, has taken significant steps to enhance river management in the northeastern states and northern West Bengal.
The board has identified 70 rivers within its jurisdiction, for which comprehensive master plans are either being prepared or updated to address issues such as erosion control and siltation management, top officials announced during its 84th meeting held in Agartala on Friday.
Brahmaputra Board Chairman Ranbir Singh highlighted the board’s focus on the development of nine river basins under its purview and announced the approval of new projects.
“We are working on initiatives aimed at better management of water resources in the region, including river erosion prevention and silt removal, as outlined in the earlier master plans,” Singh said.
In the meeting, the board approved a Rs. 3.5 crore master plan for the Feni River, which flows from southern Tripura into Bangladesh.
Updates to the master plans for the Gomti and Muhuri rivers in Tripura were also sanctioned.
Singh stated that detailed studies of these rivers would guide interventions to mitigate risks of floods and erosion, especially in light of last year’s devastating floods.
The newly approved master plans have been designed with the severe floods of 2022 in mind, which caused widespread destruction in Tripura.
The disaster claimed at least 38 lives, displaced nearly four lakh residents to shelters, and affected over 17 lakh people.
Infrastructure damages amounted to an estimated Rs. 15,000 crore, according to Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha.
The new plans aim to reduce the risk of such disasters by implementing preventive measures and improving river management strategies across the region.
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The meeting saw participation from officials representing all nine basin states—eight northeastern states and northern West Bengal—as well as members of the Union Jal Shakti Ministry.
The Brahmaputra Board, a statutory entity established in 1980, is tasked with planning and implementing measures to control floods, prevent bank erosion, and manage water resources across the Brahmaputra and Barak valleys.
The board’s responsibilities extend across the northeastern states and parts of northern Bengal, ensuring integrated water management in one of India’s most flood-prone regions.
This collaborative effort underscores the commitment to mitigating the risks posed by natural disasters and enhancing the sustainability of water resources in the Brahmaputra basin.
