The Centre has circulated with states a nationwide framework for regulating development in flood-prone areas, introducing a three-tier classification of floodplains, prohibiting high-risk activities in vulnerable zones, and setting uniform standards for demarcation, monitoring, and environmental safeguards.
The move aims to curb flood damage, improve climate resilience, and ensure that human activity in floodplains is subject to strict regulation.
The Ministry of Jal Shakti’s Technical Guidelines on Flood Plain Zoning, finalised with the approval of Minister C R Paatil last month, have been circulated to all states and Union Territories for implementation, a senior official said.
Under the new norms, floodplains will be classified into protected, regulatory and, warning zones based on flood frequency, with stringent restrictions on activities in each category.
Permanent construction, waste dumping, and storage of hazardous materials will be banned in ‘protected zones’, except for essential public infrastructure such as bridges, embankments, and flood protection works.