New Delhi: The Central Water Commission (CWC), under the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, will host a one-day stakeholders’ workshop on flood forecasting services and guidelines for flood management projects on Monday.

The workshop aims to enhance Centre–State coordination in flood forecasting, preparedness, and flood management planning. Officials will share CWC’s existing services and new initiatives while seeking feedback from state governments to promote effective utilisation of forecasting and decision-support systems.

Flood-prone state governments will have the opportunity to showcase their own flood forecasting initiatives and explore ways to integrate them with CWC services. The sessions are expected to strengthen institutional coordination, improve flood preparedness, and enhance the quality of flood management proposals, in line with the government’s focus on disaster resilience and climate-responsive water management.

Technical sessions: The forenoon will highlight the CWC’s flood forecasting capabilities, including short-range and seven-day advisory forecasts, inundation forecasting, integrated reservoir operation support, GLOF monitoring, and innovations such as AI/ML applications, extended-range rainfall forecasts from the IMD, and flash flood prediction. States will also share their experiences and coordination mechanisms with the CWC.

DPR guidelines: The afternoon session will focus on guidelines for the preparation, submission, and appraisal of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for flood management and anti-erosion works, with emphasis on improving project quality and timely appraisal. Feedback from states will inform revisions to these guidelines.

The workshop will conclude with a session chaired by CWC Chairman Anupam Prasad, summarising key takeaways and the path forward.

The event will be inaugurated by V L Kantha Rao, Secretary of the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, and attended by CWC members and senior officials from state governments.

IANS