Centre Earmarks Rs 2,537 Crore for Northeast Flood Control

Guwahati: The central government earmarked Rs 2,536.96 crore for 263 flood management projects across the Northeast, including Sikkim. This funding runs through March 2026 under the Flood Management and Border Areas Programme. Minister of State for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Choudhary confirmed the move on August 3. States lead the actual anti-erosion and flood control work. The Centre provides the cash and technical know-how.

The Central Water Commission now monitors 360 stations nationwide. It runs 53 of these in the Northeast. This network includes 15 inflow and 38 level forecast stations. Officials use a new rainfall-runoff model to predict surges seven days out. They push these warnings through social media, the Flood Watch India app, and the Common Alert Protocol. "Flood management and anti-erosion works are primarily undertaken by state governments," Choudhary stated in his written reply.

Authorities also share data with neighboring nations to manage river basins. The Ministry of Jal Shakti sent out Flood Plain Zoning guidelines in August 2025 to force better land use in flood zones. Meanwhile, the Brahmaputra Board finished 52 master plans to tackle structural and non-structural threats. States pull from the State Disaster Response Fund for immediate relief. If a disaster hits hard, the National Disaster Response Fund steps in after an Inter-Ministerial Central Team reviews the damage.