Lok Sabha Question No. 3164 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-18
Subject: Indo-Bhutan River Commission
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Shri Kalipada Saren Kherwal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

## DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3164

ANSWERED ON 18.12.2025

## INDO-BHUTAN RIVER COMMISSION

## 3164.   SHRI KALIPADA SAREN KHERWAL:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a) whether there is any proposal to form an Indo-Bhutan River Commission, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (b) whether the State Government of West Bengal would be included if such a commission is formed, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c)  the  details  of  the  members  of  the  Joint  Technical  Team  (JTT)  on  Flood  Management  and  the  Joint Experts Team (JET) on Flood Forecasting; and
- (d) the implementable action taken/activities undertaken by JTT, JET and the Joint Group of Experts (JGE)?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY )

- (a) No. There is no such proposal under consideration to form an Indo-Bhutan River Commission.

The primary concern for India on trans-border rivers flowing from Bhutan and entering the States of Assam  and  West  Bengal  are  recurring  floods  and  erosion  in  the  border  areas  and  in  the  downstream. Accordingly,  both  the  countries  have  entered  into  bilateral  cooperation  on  flood  related  issues,  which  are Joint Group of Experts (JGE) & Joint Technical Team (JTT) on flood management and Joint Experts Team (JET) on flood forecasting. These expert groups meet at regular intervals to discuss issues related to transborder rivers between the two countries.

- (b) The composition of bilateral expert groups between the two countries are decided in consultation with MEA and the respective State Governments. Both Govt. of Assam and Govt. of West Bengal are represented in the existing set-up of bilateral mechanism of JGE and JTT, which deal with activities related to assessment of the probable causes and effects of the recurring floods and erosion in the southern foothills of Bhutan and adjoining plains in India and recommend to both Governments, appropriate and mutually acceptable remedial measures.

(c) The details of the members of the Joint Technical Team (JTT) (Indian side) on Flood Management are as below:

|   S.No.Name &Designation | S.No.Name &Designation                  | Remarks          |
|--------------------------|-----------------------------------------|------------------|
|                        1 | Chief Engineer, BBO, CWC, Guwahati      | Team Leader      |
|                        2 | Suptd. Engineer (Coord.), CWC, Guwahati | Member Secretary |

|   3. | Representative of WRD, Govt. of Assam                                            | Member            |
|------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------|
|    4 | Representative of I&WD, Govt. of West Bengal                                     | Member            |
|    5 | Representative of Geological Survey of India (GSI), GoI                          | Member            |
|    6 | Representative of DoWR,RD&GR,MoJS, GoI                                           | Member            |
|    7 | Representative of Ministry of Environment Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC), GoI | Member (Optional) |
|    8 | Suptd. Engineer, Investigation circle (IC), CWC, Gangtok                         | Member            |

The details of the members of the Joint Expert Team (JET) (Indian side) on Flood Management are as below:

|   S.No.Name &Designation | S.No.Name &Designation                                                              | Remarks          |
|--------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------|
|                        1 | Chief Engineer (T&BDBO), CWC, Kolkata                                               | Team Leader      |
|                        2 | Suptd. Engineer HO &Investigation Circle (HO&IC), CWC, Guwahati                     | Member           |
|                        3 | Executive Engineer, Bhutan Investigation Division (BID), CWC, Phuentsholing, Bhutan | Member Secretary |
|                        4 | Representative of MEA, GoI                                                          | Member           |
|                        5 | Representative of DoWR,RD&GR,MoJS, GoI                                              | Member           |

## (d) The implementable action taken by JTT, JET and the Joint Group of Experts (JGE) are outlined below:

Joint Group of Experts (JGE) consisting of senior officials from GoI and RGoB has been constituted in  2004  to  discuss  and  assess  the  probable  causes  and  effects  of  the  recurring  floods  and  erosion  in  the southern foothills of Bhutan and adjoining plains in India and recommend to both Governments, appropriate and mutually acceptable remedial measures. Eleven meetings of JGE have been held so far, with the last meeting held during 14-15 May 2025 at Paro, Bhutan. Further, in accordance with the decision taken during the first meeting of JGE, a Joint Technical Team (JTT) has also been constituted to assess the field situation and provide technical support to JGE on flood management. Eight meetings of JTT have been held so far, with the 8th meeting held during 18-20 November, 2024 at Chalsa, West Bengal. Based on site visits carried out  by  JTT,  the  river  reaches  vulnerable  to  erosion,  sedimentation,  and  landslide  prone  areas  on  various trans-border rivers have been identified and remedial measures have been suggested by the Expert Groups, which have been implemented by Royal Govt. of Bhutan and Govt. of Assam / West Bengal.

Further,  a  scheme  titled  'Comprehensive  Scheme  for  Establishment  of  Hydro-meteorological  and Flood  Forecasting  Network  on  rivers  Common  to  India  and  Bhutan'  under  this  Ministry  has  been  in operation since 1992. At present, the network consists of 36 hydro-meteorological stations located in Bhutan, which are being maintained by the RGoB. These stations are located in the catchments of trans-border rivers Puthimari, Pagladiya, Sankosh, Manas, Raidak, Torsa, Aie, Jaldhaka, etc. and their tributaries. Out of these 36 stations, GoI provides funds for the operation and maintenance of 27 stations. The data received from these  36  stations  is  utilized  in  India  by  Central  Water  Commission  for  formulating  flood  forecast  during flood  season.  Joint  Experts  Team  (JET)  consisting  of  senior  officials  from  GoI  and  RGoB  continuously reviews the progress and other requirements of this network. So far, JET has met 39 times alternately in India and  Bhutan  since  its  reconstitution  in  1992  and  the  last  JET  meeting  i.e.  39 th meeting  was  held  at  Paro, Bhutan during 8-9 October 2025.

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