The Union government eased restrictions governing construction along the Ganga flood plain this week, paving the way for building projects in areas which are only subject to moderate or rare flooding. This has been done by revising the definition of a ‘flood plain’ and deleting a clause in the legislation that expressly prohibited construction, according to an August 10 gazette order from the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), affiliated to the Jal Shakti Ministry.
“This wasn’t a problem initially but in the last few years there was feedback from several quarters that this was an inconsistency. In India, no State has clearly defined ‘flood plain’ zones. The August amendments now make the notification consistent.
The ₹30,000 crore Namami Ganga mission, part of the NDA government’s ambitious venture to stem pollution in the Ganga river and maintain its ecological health, sources its legal teeth from the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order, 2016. The 2016 order had used the term ‘active’ floodplain without defining it. The Central Water Commission released guidelines in July 2025 defining active, regulatory and warning zones for floodplains.
A senior government official told The Hindu that the amendments did not represent any “dilution of standards”, but rather, attempted to correct an inconsistency in the law. A senior government official told The Hindu that the intention behind the amendment was to remove a long-standing inconsistency. There is no dilution of standards at all,” said the official, who did not wish to be named.
