353/2026-2027 

Dated Khawzawl, 10th September, 2026: A meeting on the project titled “Conservation & Restoration of Catchment Areas of Barak River in the States of Assam, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland” was held today at the DC Conference Hall, Khawzawl, under the chairmanship of Khawzawl Deputy Commissioner Pu K. Vanlalthiana. The meeting discussed measures for the conservation and restoration of various tributaries of the Barak River and their surrounding catchment areas in Khawzawl District.

Pu Rajkhungur Basumatary, Senior Manager, North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Society (NERCORMS), gave a PowerPoint presentation explaining the project in detail. The project is to be funded by the Government of India and KfW, Germany, and will be implemented under the North Eastern Council (NEC). NERCORMS will serve as the executing agency for the project. In Mizoram, the project will be implemented in eight districts: Aizawl, Champhai, Mamit, Lunglei, Serchhip, Kolasib, Saitual and Khawzawl.

The Barak River and its tributary systems have increasingly been affected by issues such as improper land use, inadequate management of watershed areas, and insufficient coordination in the management of the river system. These factors have contributed to an increase in floods, landslides and other related difficulties.

Through this project, efforts will be made to conserve forests, wildlife and water resources, while also improving the livelihoods of farmers During today's meeting, officials of various line departments were instructed to collect and provide important data required for the project. From 12th to 16th October 2026, NERCORMS officials will visit Mizoram again. During this period, they will conduct field inspections of the catchment areas in Khawzawl District and hold discussions with government officials concerned.