Centre to host meet on flood management for states today
New Delhi: The Central Water Commission (CWC), which functions under the Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, will be organising a one-day stakeholders’ workshop on flood forecasting services and guidelines for the preparation and appraisal of detailed project reports for flood management on Monday.
The focus of the workshop will be on sharing the CWC’s existing services and new initiatives with all stakeholders and seeking their feedback to strengthen Centre–State coordination in flood forecasting, preparedness, and flood management planning. It also aims to promote effective utilisation of the CWC’s forecasting and decision-support services by state governments with support from various central organisations concerned.
The governments of flood-prone states will be given an opportunity to share their initiatives in flood forecasting activities and options for creating synergy with the CWC services.
The workshop is expected to contribute to improved flood preparedness, better-quality flood management proposals, and strengthened institutional coordination in line with the government’s focus on disaster resilience and climate-responsive water management.
Forenoon technical sessions will highlight the CWC’s flood forecasting capabilities, including short-range and seven-day advisory forecasts, inundation forecasting, integrated reservoir operation support, GLOF monitoring, and new initiatives such as AI/ML applications, use of extended-range rainfall forecasts from IMD, and flash flood forecasting. State governments will share their experiences and initiatives in flood forecasting and coordination with the CWC.
The afternoon session will focus on the guidelines for preparation, submission and appraisal of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for flood management and anti-erosion works, with emphasis on improving project quality and timely appraisal. The feedback from the states will help in revising the guidelines.
The workshop will conclude with a session chaired by the CWC Chairman, Anupam Prasad, outlining key takeaways and the way forward.
Secretary, Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, V.L. Kantha Rao, will inaugurate the workshop, which will be attended by the CWC Chairman and members, and senior officers from the state governments.