Centre Redefines Ganga Active Floodplain, Introduces Regulatory and Warning Zones

Key facts

• The Jal Shakti Ministry amended the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order, 2016 through a notification issued on August 7, 2026 and published in the Gazette on August 10, 2026.
• The amendment redefined the active floodplain of the Ganga and its tributaries as the area inundated by a one-in-five-year flood.
• The floodplain definition now includes an active floodplain, a regulatory zone for one-in-five to one-in-25-year floods, and a warning zone for one-in-25 to one-in-100-year floods.
• The amended definition also covers areas inundated by the greatest flow or a flood with a once-in-100-year frequency.
• The amendment replaced the 'construction free zone' wording with a requirement to maintain river banks and floodplains to reduce pollution sources and pressures and preserve natural groundwater recharge functions.
• The 2016 order's prohibition on permanent or temporary structures in the active floodplain remains unchanged, subject to specified exceptions and permissions.