Meghalaya alone cannot be blamed for Assam floods: Dy CM Prestone Tynsong

New Delhi: The Union government has provided Rs 2,536.96 crore (up to March 2026) for 263 flood management projects across the Northeast, including Sikkim, under the Flood Management and Border Areas Programme (FMBAP), the Rajya Sabha was informed on Monday.

Responding to a question in the Upper House, Minister of State for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Choudhary said flood management and anti-erosion works are implemented by state governments, while the Centre provides technical guidance and financial assistance through the FMBAP.

He said the Central Water Commission (CWC) currently issues flood forecasts from 360 stations across the country, including 53 stations in the Northeast comprising 15 inflow forecast stations and 38 level forecast stations. The forecasts, with a lead time of up to 24 hours, are shared with state governments to support preparedness and reservoir management.

The minister added that the CWC has also developed a basin-wise rainfall-runoff model that provides flood forecast advisories up to seven days in advance. These advisories are available through dedicated online platforms and are also disseminated through the Common Alert Protocol, social media channels and the Flood Watch India mobile application.

Choudhary said hydrological and meteorological data are shared with neighbouring countries to strengthen river basin management and flood forecasting in the Northeast.

He further informed the House that the Ministry of Jal Shakti circulated technical guidelines on Flood Plain Zoning to states and Union Territories in August 2025 to promote scientific floodplain management as a non-structural flood mitigation measure.

The minister also said the Brahmaputra Board has prepared 52 master plans for the Northeastern states covering short-, medium- and long-term structural and non-structural flood management measures.

On disaster relief, he said states provide assistance through the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), while additional support from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) is provided for disasters of a severe nature following the prescribed assessment process.

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