By IANS,
Guwahati : The central government is considering a proposal to restructure the Brahmaputra Board due to its alleged failure to deal with the annual flood situation in Assam, the Chief Minister’s Office said here Tuesday.
The board may be restructured into a new entity to take up integrated water resource planning and management in the Brahmaputra basin, union Minister for Water Resources Harish Rawat recently wrote to Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.
A draft document outlining the restructuring of the board has been sent to all the northeastern states and the board seeking their views, a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office said, quoting the minister’s letter.
Rawat said his ministry was examining all issues raised by Gogoi in his memorandum given to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his visit to Assam April 20.
The ministry was also considering the plea of the Assam government to enhance the funding pattern for command area development and water management works, he said.
Rawat said the ministry had taken up a slew of initiatives to make the North Eastern Regional Institute of Water and Land Management (NERIWALM) at Tezpur a centre of excellence in the field of research, training and capacity building.
“A collaboration mechanism will be established between the Central Water Commission and NERIWALM,” Rawat said.