Centre Redefines Ganga Active Floodplain, Drops Construction-Free Zone Wording

The government made new rules about the Ganga River and the land beside it, called the floodplain.

Floodplains are areas that get covered with water when the river floods.

In the old rules, this land was called a 'construction-free zone,' meaning no buildings were allowed.

The new rules drop those exact words, but they still stop people from building homes, shops, or factories in the main floodplain.

The government also gave a clearer name to the land that floods most often, calling it the 'active floodplain.'

The active floodplain is the land that gets flooded about once every five years.

The rules now split the floodplain into three zones based on how often floods happen.

There are also new 'regulatory' and 'warning' zones for land that floods less often.

No building rules have been announced yet for these two new zones.

The government says the changes will help reduce pollution and protect groundwater.