The Centre has provided ₹2,536.96 crore in financial assistance for 263 flood management projects in the North Eastern states, including Sikkim, under the Flood Management and Border Areas Programme (FMBAP), the Ministry of Jal Shakti informed Parliament on Monday.
In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Choudhary said flood management and anti-erosion works are undertaken by the respective state governments, while the Union Government supplements these efforts through technical guidance and financial assistance under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
The FMBAP supports projects related to flood control, anti-erosion measures, drainage development and anti-sea erosion. Since the inception of the programme up to March 2026, central assistance amounting to ₹2,536.96 crore has been released for flood management works across the North Eastern region.
The Minister said the Central Water Commission (CWC) has strengthened flood forecasting services to support disaster preparedness. At present, flood forecasts are issued at 360 stations across the country, comprising 159 inflow forecast stations and 201 level forecast stations. Of these, 53 stations are located in the North Eastern region, including 15 inflow forecast stations and 38 level forecast stations.
The CWC provides short-range flood forecasts with a lead time of up to 24 hours and has also developed a basin-wise rainfall-runoff model to issue seven-day advance flood forecast advisories, enabling state authorities to undertake timely evacuation and other preventive measures.
The Ministry said flood forecasts and advisories are disseminated through dedicated online platforms, the Flood Watch India mobile application, social media channels and the Common Alert Protocol (CAP) integrated with State Disaster Management Authorities.
To improve river basin management and flood forecasting in the region, hydrological and meteorological data are also shared by neighbouring countries.
The Minister informed the House that the Ministry of Jal Shakti has encouraged states to adopt Flood Plain Zoning (FPZ) as a non-structural flood mitigation measure. A technical guideline on Flood Plain Zoning was circulated to all states and Union Territories in August 2025 to facilitate scientific assessment and zoning of flood-prone areas.
He further said the Brahmaputra Board has prepared 52 master plans for the North Eastern states, incorporating short-, medium- and long-term structural and non-structural measures for flood management.
On disaster relief, the Minister said state governments provide immediate assistance from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for damages caused by notified natural calamities, including floods. Additional assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) is provided for disasters of a severe nature after assessment by an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT), following the prescribed procedure.
