Centre demands for mandatory floodplain zoning law as only 4 states comply

With only four states complying despite repeated reminders, the Centre is contemplating making it mandatory for states to enact floodplain zoning legislation if they want to access central flood management funds, officials have said. The four states that have enacted such legislations are: ?Manipur, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and the erstwhile Jammu & Kashmir. A senior official said the Ministry of Jal Shakti has been in continuous communication with state governments, urging them to notify the Flood Plain Zoning Act and demarcate flood zones, Recently, the Central Water Commission updated the Model Act, and the ministry plans to initiate another round of consultations with states, the official said. The official said the ministry has proposed making the enactment of the Flood Plain Zoning Act a prerequisite for states to access funds under the Flood Management and Border Areas Programme (FMBAP). "We are going for a Cabinet approval for the next phase of the Flood Management and ...