Guwahati, May 19: Union Jal Shakti Minister C. R. Patil on Tuesday said the Brahmaputra Board is emerging as a key institution for accelerating water management and infrastructure development across the Northeast, as the Centre moves to strengthen coordination among states and fast-track regional projects.
Addressing a press conference after the High-Powered Review Board meeting of the Brahmaputra Board in Guwahati, Patil announced that West Bengal and Sikkim have been included in the Board’s review mechanism for the first time, expanding its regional representation.
“We have taken several important decisions in the meeting, including the State Water Reform Framework. For the first time, West Bengal and Sikkim have also been given membership. Representatives from Sikkim attended the meeting and expressed happiness over the inclusion,” Patil said.
The Union Minister said the Centre is pushing digital transformation initiatives through the Brahmaputra Board and urged northeastern states to work closely with the Board in preparing Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for water-related infrastructure projects.
“For the Northeast, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given special importance to infrastructure and development. There is now a strong hunger for development among the northeastern states,” he said.
Patil said the Board is helping states prepare DPRs based on region-specific requirements while providing technical expertise to implement projects more efficiently and at lower costs.
“The Brahmaputra Board has been working since 1982 and has delivered commendable work. We have now taken several decisions to further strengthen it,” he added.
Highlighting manpower shortages within the Board, Patil said officials from various states have been deputed to support its operations, including 10 officers from the Assam government. He also stressed the importance of involving retired local officials familiar with the region’s geography and river systems.
“People from this region understand the terrain and challenges very well. Using their knowledge and experience, the Brahmaputra Board is moving ahead strongly,” he said.
The minister also spoke about ongoing initiatives on waste management and erosion control in the Northeast with support from the Central Water Commission (CWC), adding that the Union Home Ministry has already held discussions on regional waste management strategies.
On river-linking projects, Patil said the Centre is actively pursuing major national river interlinking initiatives envisioned during former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s tenure and being advanced under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He cited the Ken-Betwa river-linking project between Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, which aims to irrigate over 10.62 lakh hectares and provide drinking water to nearly 62 lakh people by 2030. He also referred to the PKC project, expected to benefit Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan through irrigation and drinking water supply.
Patil said the Centre is now prioritising river-linking projects within individual states to avoid inter-state disputes related to land acquisition and water sharing.
“If a river originates and ends within the same state, many issues can be minimised, and projects can move forward much faster,” he said.
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