83rd meeting of Brahmaputra Board held in Chümoukedima

DIMAPUR — The 83rd meeting of the Brahmaputra Board (BB), hosted by the Department of Water Resources, Nagaland, was held at the conference hall of Niathu Resort, Chümoukedima, on Monday.

The Brahmaputra Board, under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, is a body established by the government of India to plan and implement erosion control works and flood control measures in the NER, a DIPR report stated.

The meeting, chaired by the chairman of Brahmaputra Board, Dr. Ranbir Singh, deliberated on various agendas in NER.

The event saw participation from central government bodies like the Brahmaputra Board, NERIWALM, NEHARI, the Survey of India and departments of Water Resources represented by chief engineers from all north-eastern states except Sikkim.

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Singh reiterated the need for mutual collaboration among like-minded and allied departments and agencies to frame sustainable projects in the NER pertaining to water resources management and conservation.

He pointed out that in the context of water resources management in the country, the north-eastern states are very important because the region has the mighty Brahmaputra River and the north-east accounts for 30% of local body water resource management.

He said that the north-east has to play a big role not as agencies but as an organisation to address the issues of strengthening the Brahmaputra Board; then only the Brahmaputra Board will be in a position to provide the technical support, guidance and resources through the states.

The board chairman mentioned that for the interest of everyone and for the future of all the states, every state must participate in the Brahmaputra Board programmes.

The event also showcased innovative designs from the Department of Water Resources, Nagaland, that incorporate power generation components in the irrigation works, the concept of trench weir, which is specifically designed for irrigation in hilly regions, and a Web-GIS technology developed in-house by the Department of Water Resources, Meghalaya, for mapping of springs in the state.

Mizoram also presented an ongoing study of the spring restoration-cum-recharge project under the National Hydrology Project where a positive trend has been observed in the discharge of the springs.

Further, the Survey of India informed that it has resources available for government agencies for free after the liberalisation of the institution in recent years.