The High-Powered Review Board (HPRB) of the Brahmaputra Board will hold its 14th meeting tomorrow (May 19, 2026) in Guwahati to review the progress of river basin management initiatives and provide strategic guidance for the future roadmap of the Board. The meeting will be chaired by the Union Minister of Jal Shakti C.R. Paatil. The Union Cabinet Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, and the Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Raj Bhushan Choudhary, will attend the session. Other Union and State Ministers, senior officials from the Government of India and the North Eastern States, technical experts, and key stakeholders will also be present during the deliberations.
This meeting holds particular significance following the recent reconstitution of the HPRB, which expanded its membership to include the States of Sikkim and West Bengal. It also comes amid the ongoing transformation of the Brahmaputra Board into a modern, knowledge-based River Basin Organization (RBO). The Board has been executing major initiatives across the North Eastern Region and West Bengal, specifically focusing on the preparation and updation of river basin masterplans, flood and erosion management, springshed rejuvenation, drainage development, digital transformation, institutional restructuring, and capacity building.
The high-level review will cover the implementation status of decisions taken during the 13th HPRB meeting and assess the overall performance and functioning of the Brahmaputra Board. The Board will seek policy and strategic direction on organizational restructuring, reforms in masterplan preparation, the revitalization of the North Eastern Hydraulic and Allied Research Institute (NEHARI), the redevelopment of the Brahmaputra Board office complex at Basistha, and the strengthening of digital governance systems. Additionally, the event will feature the release of books and documentaries documenting the traditional and indigenous water management practices of North East India to promote sustainable water conservation.
