The 83rd meeting of the Brahmaputra Board was held at the conference hall of Niathu Resort, Chumoukedima, hosted by the Department of Water Resources, Nagaland. The meeting was chaired by Dr Ranbir Singh, IAS (Retd.), Chairman of the Brahmaputra Board.
The Brahmaputra Board, under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, is a government body tasked with planning and implementing erosion control and flood management measures in the North Eastern Region (NER). The 83rd meeting deliberated on various key agendas for the NER.
Central government bodies, including the Brahmaputra Board, NERIWALM, NEHARI, and Survey of India (SOI), participated in the event, alongside state water resource departments represented by Chief Engineers from all North Eastern states except Sikkim.
During the meeting, Dr Singh emphasized the need for collaboration among allied departments and agencies to develop sustainable water resource management projects in the NER. He highlighted the significance of the region, home to the mighty Brahmaputra River and accounting for nearly 30% of India’s water resources. However, he noted that challenges like erosion, flooding, and loss of lives and property persist due to the inadequate realization of this potential.
Dr Singh called for a coordinated approach between the Water Resources Department and the Brahmaputra Board to address these issues effectively. He also stressed the importance of strengthening the Board itself, urging states to provide skilled manpower, including deputy engineers, superintendent engineers, and executive engineers, to transform the Board’s capacity over the next five years.
He appealed to all stakeholders to support the development of the Brahmaputra Board as a technical and leadership-driven organization, which would enhance its ability to offer guidance and resources to the states.
The event also featured innovative designs from the Water Resources Department, Nagaland, such as a power generation component integrated into irrigation works and the “Trench Weir” concept for hilly regions. Meghalaya’s Water Resources Department showcased its in-house Web-GIS technology for mapping springs, and Mizoram presented an ongoing spring restoration and recharge study under the National Hydrology Project, where positive results have been observed in spring discharge.
Additionally, the Survey of India (SOI) informed attendees about the free resources available to government agencies following the institution’s liberalization. SOI also discussed plans to provide more accurate maps and data in the near future and encouraged central and state agencies to use the freely available geo-spatial data for project planning and execution.