New Delhi [India], October 29 : Union Minister of Jal Shakti C. R. Patil chaired the 19th meeting of the Ganga Flood Control Board (GFCB) in New Delhi on Thursday, where the Board deliberated on strengthening basin-level flood management, improving project implementation and adopting modern technologies to address flood-related challenges across the Ganga Basin.
The meeting was held at Bharat Mandapam and attended by 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, representatives of the Ganga Basin States, senior Central and State government officials, and representatives of concerned agencies.
During the meeting, Patil launched the Punah Bharan Mobile App, developed by the Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics in collaboration with the National Water Mission. The application aims to facilitate the scientific identification of suitable locations for artificial groundwater recharge interventions.
The Board also deliberated on the revised mandate and restructuring of the Ganga Flood Control Commission (GFCC), with a focus on 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).
Discussions during the meeting also focused on preparing risk-based basin Master Plans, assessing the adequacy of waterways and ventways under bridges, improving the quality of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs), ensuring timely implementation of flood management projects and applying modern technologies to address flood-related challenges.
The participants emphasised the need for stronger coordination among Central Ministries, State Governments and other stakeholders, particularly in addressing issues related to river morphology, drainage congestion, infrastructure development and flood resilience.
The importance of modern survey techniques, sound technical investigations, obtaining appropriate statutory clearances and resolving bottlenecks in project implementation promptly was also highlighted during the deliberations.
The Ganga Flood Control Board was constituted by the Government of India on April 18, 1972, to facilitate coordinated planning and implementation of measures to address flooding, erosion and drainage problems in the Ganga Basin.
Chaired by the Union Minister of Jal Shakti, the Board comprises representatives of the concerned Central Ministries and Chief Ministers of the Ganga Basin States or their representatives. The Chairman of the Ganga Flood Control Commission serves as its Member Secretary.
The Board provides an institutional platform for strengthening Centre-State cooperation and coordinating flood management measures across the Ganga Basin.
The deliberations sought to strengthen inter-State coordination, review ongoing initiatives and explore approaches to improve flood management planning and implementation across the Ganga Basin.