Guidelines on Riverbank Protection and Anti-Sea Erosion Works in West Bengal

Update: Revised Guidelines (1st Amendment) vide No. 501-IFC dated 10.12.2019

Government of West Bengal
Irrigation & Waterways Department
Jalasampad Bhaban, 3rd Floor, Western Block
Bidhannagar, Salt Lake City, Kolkata 700091

Memo No. 93-IFC/IW/O/IFC/4M-30/2014 Dated, 26th March 2018

MEMORANDUM

With a view to taking a holistic approach to evolve appropriate technical solution to the problem of erosion in river and sea-coast in various districts of the State in consideration of hydro-morphological condition of the rivers, characteristics of riverbank and sea-beach materials, availability of construction materials for protection of riverbanks or sea-coast, a Technical Experts’ Committee (TEC), headed by Dr. D Sen, Head, School of Water Resources, IIT Kharagpur, Dr. S. Mukherjee, Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Jadavpur University and various other Engineers Officers of this Department was constituted vide Memo No. 200-IFC/IW/O/4M-30/2014 dated 10th September 2014.

2. The TEC, after holding detailed deliberation on various pertinent issues including review of existing provision of BIS Codes and other guidelines of CWC, IRC, etc. and also the standard practices of this Department in six meetings, has brought out detailed guidelines on standardization of riverbank protection and coastal protection works for different districts of the State, clustered in five zones. The report of the TEC has since been accepted by the Government in this Department.
3. A copy of the said Report comprising two parts, i.e. general discussion on the mechanism of erosion and governing principles as well as approach methodology to take up anti-erosion works in the first part, and zonewise recommendation on standardized measures for such antierosion works in the second part, is enclosed herewith as Annex.
4. All schemes relating to riverbank and coastal protection works should henceforth be prepared in accordance with the recommendations made by the Committee for different zones. Any departure from the standardized measures suggested in the Report will require adequate technical justification, supported by facts and figures.
5. Although the Committee did not offer detailed recommendations on relatively new technological developments such as use of Polypropylene (PP) Geobags, Geo-reinforced Wall, High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) sand bags, concrete Tetrapods, etc., field level officers of this Department are encouraged to embrace the new technologies, subject to proven track record of economy, durability and suitability of application under different conditions of exposure.
6. These guidelines will have immediate effect on all the schemes, other than those schemes, which have already been cleared by the Departmental Screening Committee.
7. All concerned may accordingly be informed.

Sd/- G. Chattopadhyay
Secretary to the
Government of West Bengal

Encl. Annex

No. 93-IFC dated 26.03.2018, Source