Aizawl: The 86th Meeting of the Brahmaputra Board was convened. under the chairmanship of Ranbir Singh, Chairman, Brahmaputra Board at the Conference Hall, Planning & Programme Implementation Department, Aizawl, Mizoram.
The meeting assumed special importance as it was the first board meeting after the reconstitution of the Board by the central government. The notification dated 15th September 2025 has added the basin states of Sikkim and West Bengal and has elevated the membership to the level of Secretary, Water Resources for all 9 basin states.
Important project proposals concerning LiDAR survey of Umgot watershed, Meghalaya; Study of Sugar Mill Nallah for basin planning & drainage in Dimapur, Nagaland; DPR for rainwater harvesting Dam at Kolasib, Mizoram; Springshed development in Kamjong District, Manipur; Preparation of Preliminary Report for Sprinsgshed Management in 7 clusters in Arunachal Pradesh were approved in the 86th Meeting of Brahmaputra Board.
RE of Rs. 148 Crore for FY 2025-26 and BE of Rs. 225 Crore for FY 2026-27 was approved in this meeting.
A 3-year plan for strengthening and revamping of NEHARI, an institute of Brahmaputra Board was also approved by the Board in the meeting, to transform it into a premier institute offering research & development, capacity building, knowledge sharing, consultancy services and material testing facilities.
Enhancement of knowledge and capacity building of the officers of the Central & State Government of NER was stressed in the meeting and State Government were requested to send their officers on a regular basis to NEHARI for training. Members from the State Governments shared their suggestions and project ideas in the meeting.
The chairman requested them to send their concept notes to Brahmaputra Board for further consideration.The chairman emphasized the need for institutional strengthening, specialization, digital transformation and capacity building of the Board, so that it could provide effective technical support to the basin states in future. He stated that the recent reconstitution of the Board would go a long way in strengthening the collaboration between the Brahmaputra Board and the state governments. He also reiterated the Brahmaputra Board’s commitment towards supporting the basin states for effective and sustainable water resource management across the region.
The state of Manipur volunteered to host the 87th Meeting of Brahmaputra Board in Imphal.
