Committee formed to manage water resources in northeast

The government on Wednesday said it has set up a committee for proper management of water resources in the northeast region, which saw floods and massive landslides this year claiming at least 100 lives.

The committee will suggest policy interventions for optimally harnessing the water resources.

It will also chalk out a plan of action for dovetailing of the schemes or programmes of concerned Union Ministries, attached offices and autonomous bodies as well as the schemes of the respective northeastern state governments.

Apart from identifying gaps in the existing mechanism, the committee will also work on its appraisal, said an official statement.

According to the government, the initiative comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Guwahati in August this year to review the flood situation and relief works in the northeastern states.

The committee includes Secretaries from the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DONER), Ministry of Water Resources, Departments of Border Management, Space, and Power, and the National Disaster Management Authority.

The Chief Secretaries of all eight northeastern states are members of the committee which is chaired by Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar.

"The committee would facilitate optimising benefits of appropriate water management in the form of hydro-electric power, agriculture, bio-diversity conservation, reduced flood damage erosion, inland water transport, forestry, fishery and eco-tourism," said the statement, adding that Ministry of DoNER will serve as the coordinating agency.

The committee will submit its report, including Plan of Action, by June next year.

--IANS

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