Shillong Dec 12: The Secretary of the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation at the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, VL Kantha Rao, chaired a high-level review meeting at the Brahmaputra Board headquarters in Guwahati today to assess the progress of water resources projects across the Brahmaputra and Barak Basin states.
The meeting saw participation from senior officials of the Water Resources Departments of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Sikkim and West Bengal, along with officials from the ministry and regional organisations as well as officers of the Brahmaputra Board.
The discussions focused on the implementation status of river basin master plan recommendations by all nine basin states, progress of works undertaken by the Brahmaputra Board, physical and financial progress of ongoing projects under the ministry, and the review of state proposals, a government press release stated today.
State officials provided updates on actions taken toward implementing master plan recommendations, while the Secretary emphasised the importance of robust inter-state coordination for integrated basin-level water management. He urged timely completion of ongoing projects, proactive resolution of bottlenecks and adherence to priority timelines for all works supported under central sector and centrally sponsored schemes.
Concluding the meeting, Rao highlighted the need for multi-stakeholder collaboration to ensure sustainable and effective development of water resources in the Brahmaputra and Barak Basin. He assured full support for the region’s water resource development initiatives and directed central agency officers to assist North Eastern states in preparing project proposals to avail benefits under various ministry schemes.
Earlier in the day, the Secretary toured the Brahmaputra Board complex at Basistha and inaugurated the newly constructed meeting hall designed to enhance collaborative deliberations.
