The Central Water Commission (CWC), under Department of Water resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Govt of India organised a One-Day Stakeholders’ Workshop on Flood Forecasting Services and Guidelines for Preparation, Submission and Appraisal of Flood Management Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) today at the CWC Auditorium, Library Building, R K Puram, New Delhi.

The workshop was inaugurated by Secretary, Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Sh. V L Kantha Rao along with Chairman, CWC Sh. Anupam Prasad,  Members of CWC Sh. Yogesh Paithankar(WP&P) , Principal Secretary, WRD Bihar Sh. Santosh Kumar Mall, Regional Commissioner, Karnataka Smt. Janaki K M in the presence of participants from States, Central agencies and CWC regional offices as well as HQ. In his inaugural address, the Secretary, DoWR, RD & GR emphasised the importance of strengthening Centre–State coordination in flood forecasting, preparedness and flood management planning in the context of increasing climate variability and extreme events.

The workshop witnessed participation from 27 States/UTs and 15 Central agencies including CWC. Total of about 173 officers from States(69), Central Agencies(34)  and CWC(70) covering technical & decision makers from State Water Resources Departments as well as State Disaster Management Authorities, Central Agencies like India Meteorological Department (IMD), National Disaster Management Authority(NDMA), Centre for Development of Advance Computing (CDAC), National Dam Safety Authority(NDSA), Disaster Management Div of Ministry of Home Affairs(DM Div-MHA), Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD & GR), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Bhakhra & Beas Management Board (BBMB), Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Brahmaputra Board(BB), Ganga Flood Control Commission(GFCC), Centre for Development of Telematics (CDOT), National Water Informatics Centre (NWIC)  involved in Disaster Management, Flood Forecasting & Flood Management Scheme appraisal, monitoring and release of fund participated the deliberations during workshop.

During the technical sessions, CWC made 5 presentations covering an overview of the evolution of flood forecasting services in India highlighting short-range and seven-day advisory flood forecasts, new services like inundation forecasting & integrated reservoir operation support, Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) studies & periodic Glacial Lake Monitoring including its analysis and initiatives related to use of AI/ML in Flood Forecasting, 4 week flood guidance, flash flood forecasting,

Representatives from some States like Assam, Bihar, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Telangana shared their experiences in brief covering initiatives in flood forecasting and operational coordination with CWC, providing valuable insights into field-level challenges and best practices.

Finally, summary of Flood Forecasting initiatives in States developed on their own or use of CWC services with their request for better synergy was presented by CWC. The sessions underlined the shift towards impact-based forecasting and decision-support systems by integrating systems of CWC with State Govt preferably through automation of real-time data sharing to enhance preparedness and response. It also highlighted the need for series of technical workshop/brainstorming sessions for knowledge transfer for improvement of modelling practices/products and flood forecasting practices.

The afternoon session focused on the Guidelines for preparation, submission and appraisal of DPRs for flood management and anti-erosion works. The discussions highlighted the importance of basin-level planning, sound hydrological analysis, and early engagement with CWC to improve project quality and ensure timely appraisal and implementation.

CWC made 2 presentations. The first presentation was on preparation of DPR by concerned States Govt following specified guidelines, Manuals & BIS codes highlighting common deficiencies in DPRs requiring special attention. The second presentation was on online submission of DPR through dedicated e-PAMS portal for appraisal in CWC/GFCC. The timelines for various stages in appraisal process covering observations by appraising office for improvement and response to observations by project authority was also covered. The contents of note for Advisory Committee seeking techno economic clearance and further procedures for seeking central assistance under Centrally Sponsored scheme like FMBAP was also explained. Getting timely release of Central Assistance instalments during implementation of projects following specified guidelines were also shared for clarity on procedures involved from planning to completion of project. The presentations were followed by Q&A session for clarifying the unanswered queries and inviting suggestions from States.

The workshop concluded with a session chaired by the Member (D&R), CWC, during which key takeaways from the discussions were summarised. To conclude, it was reiterated that closer collaboration between the Centre and States, effective utilisation of forecasting services, and improved quality of flood management proposals are essential for strengthening flood resilience in the country.

The workshop is expected to contribute to improved flood preparedness, better-informed decision-making, and enhanced effectiveness of flood management interventions, in line with the Government’s emphasis on disaster resilience and climate-responsive water resources management.

 

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