New Delhi, Oct 29 The Ganga Flood Control Board has deliberated on preparation of risk-based river basin master plans, assessment of the adequacy of waterways and ventways under bridges and restructuring of Ganga Flood Control Commission (GFCC) to strengthen flood management across the Ganga basin, the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti said on Thursday.
The board also discussed improving the quality of detailed project reports (DPRs), timely implementation of flood mitigation projects and application of modern technologies in flood management, the ministry said in a statement.
The deliberations took place at the 19th meeting of the Ganga Flood Control Board (GFCB), chaired by Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil at Bharat Mandapam here on October 27.
Patil launched the Punah Bharan mobile app, developed by the Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG-N) in collaboration with the National Water Mission, to facilitate scientific identification of suitable locations for artificial groundwater recharge interventions.
The revised mandate and restructuring of GFCC include strengthening basin-level flood management planning, appraisal of flood management schemes, river morphology and sedimentation studies, and development of a Flood Management Information System (FMIS), the statement said.
The revised institutional arrangements are expected to improve coordination, technical appraisal and timely decision-making, it added.
Emphasis was laid on strengthening coordination among central ministries, state governments and other stakeholders, particularly in addressing issues relating to river morphology, drainage congestion, infrastructure development and flood resilience.
The importance of modern survey techniques, sound technical investigations, appropriate statutory clearances and timely resolution of project implementation bottlenecks was also highlighted.
The meeting reaffirmed the importance of an integrated, risk-informed and technology-enabled approach to flood management, supported by effective Centre-state cooperation, improved technical standards and coordinated implementation of flood management measures across the Ganga basin, the statement said.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ram Nath Thakur, NITI Aayog member K V Raju, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and Water Resources Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Uttar Pradesh Jal Shakti Minister Swatantra Dev Singh and representatives of the Ganga basin states attended the meeting, among others.
The Ganga Flood Control Board was constituted by the Centre on April 18, 1972, to facilitate coordinated planning and implementation of measures to address flood, erosion and drainage problems in the Ganga basin.
(PTI News)
