Central Water Minister Launches Mobile App for Groundwater Recharge at Ganga Flood Control Board Meeting
The Ganga Flood Control Board meeting in New Delhi saw the launch of a new mobile app aimed at enhancing groundwater recharge efforts.
New Delhi, October 29 (Daily Kiran) : The Ganga Flood Control Board (GFCB) held its 19th meeting on October 27 in New Delhi, chaired by Central Water Minister C.R. Patil. Attendees included West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Ramnath Thakur, NITI Aayog member Prof. K.V. Raju, and representatives from various Ganga basin states, along with senior officials from central and state governments.
Established by the central government on April 18, 1972, the GFCB aims to devise coordinated strategies to address flooding, erosion, and drainage issues in the Ganga basin. The board is led by the Central Water Minister and includes representatives from relevant central ministries and the chief ministers or their representatives from the Ganga basin states. The chairman of the Ganga Flood Control Commission serves as the member secretary of the board.
The board provides a high-level institutional platform to enhance cooperation and coordination between the center and states for effective flood management in the Ganga basin. This meeting offered a chance to review ongoing initiatives, strengthen interstate coordination, and discuss emerging new approaches for effective flood management.
During the meeting, the Central Water Minister launched the ‘Recharge Mobile App’. Developed with the support of the National Water Mission by the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, this app aims to assist in scientifically identifying suitable sites for artificial groundwater recharge measures.
The board also discussed the revised mandate and reorganization of the Ganga Flood Control Commission. Key topics included strengthening flood management planning at the basin level, evaluating flood management plans, studying river morphology and sedimentation, and developing a flood management information system. These revised institutional arrangements are expected to improve coordination, technical assessments, and timely decision-making processes.
The meeting emphasized preparing a risk-based basin master plan, assessing the adequacy of waterways under bridges, improving the quality of detailed project reports, timely implementation of flood management projects, and the use of modern techniques in flood management.
Special attention was given to strengthening coordination among central ministries, state governments, and other stakeholders. Discussions focused on issues related to changes in river morphology, drainage obstructions, infrastructure development, and enhancing flood response capabilities. The importance of modern surveying techniques, robust technical scrutiny, timely solutions to legal approvals, and overcoming implementation barriers was also highlighted.
The meeting underscored the need for a coordinated, risk-based approach supported by modern technologies to make flood management in the Ganga basin more effective. It stressed the necessity for better coordination between the central and state governments, improvement in technical standards, and the timely and coordinated implementation of flood control measures.
