Jal Shakti Ministry Amends River Ganga Authorities Order, 2016

The Jal Shakti Ministry amends the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order, 2016 through the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities (Second Amendment) Order, 2026. The amendment redefines “active floodplain” and revises the definition of “flood plain” to include active floodplain, regulatory, and warning zones based on flood return periods.

River Ganga Authorities (Second Amendment) Order, 2026:

Dimension	Key Details
Maintenance of banks and floodplains	The banks of the Ganga and its tributaries, and their floodplains, shall be maintained to reduce pollution sources and pressures, and preserve their natural groundwater recharge functions through necessary measures.
Removed wording	The amendment removes the “construction-free zone” wording.
Definition: Active floodplain	“Active floodplain” means an area of the Ganga or its tributaries coming under water due to floods corresponding to a one-in-5-year return period.
Definition: Flood plain (amended structure)	The amended definition of “flood plain” includes three components: the active floodplain; a regulatory zone covering areas inundated between one-in-5-year and one-in-25-year floods; and a warning zone covering areas inundated between one-in-25-year and one-in-100-year floods.
Construction prohibition clause	The 2026 amendment does not amend the provision under which construction of permanent or temporary structures for residential, commercial, industrial, or other purposes is prohibited in the Ganga, its banks, its tributaries, and the active floodplain, subject to specified exceptions and permissions.
Construction rules for newly defined zones	The notification does not specify any construction permission or prohibition for the newly defined regulatory and warning zones.
Flood plain definition: 100-year flood criterion	The amended definition includes areas of the Ganga or its tributaries that come under water on either side due to floods corresponding to their greatest flow or a flood with a frequency of once in 100 years.
Flood plain definition under 2016 order	The 2016 order defines “flood plain” as the area of the Ganga or its tributaries that comes under water on either side due to floods corresponding to its greatest flow or a flood with a frequency of once in 100 years.