The act to provide for the establishment of River Boards for the regulation and development of inter-state rivers and river valleys empowers the Central Government, on a request received in this behalf from a State Government or otherwise, by notification in the Official Gazette, to establish a River Board for advising the Governments interested in relation to such matters concerning the regulation or development of an inter-State river or river valley or any specified part thereof. 

The Board may be empowered under sub-section (1) of section 14 to perform all or any of the following functions, namely -

• Advising the Governments interested on any matter concerning the regulation or development of any specified inter-state river or river valley within its area of operation and in particular, advising them in relation to the coordination of their activities with a view to resolve conflicts among them and to achieve maximum results in respect of the measures undertaken by them in the inter-State river or river valley for the purpose of -
  
  • conservation, control and optimum utilisation of water resources of the inter- State river ;
  • promotion and operation of schemes for irrigation, water supply or drainage;
  • promotion and operation of schemes for the development of hydro-electric power;
  • promotion and operation of schemes for flood control;
  • promotion and control of navigation;
  • promotion of afforestation and control of soil erosion;
  • prevention of pollution of the waters of inter-State river;
  • such other matters as may be prescribed.
• Preparing schemes, including multi-purpose schemes, for the purpose of regulating or developing the inter-State river or river valley and advising the Governments interested to undertake measures for executing the scheme prepared by the Board;
• Allocating among the Governments interested the costs of executing any scheme prepared by the Board and of maintaining any works undertaken in the execution of the scheme;
• Watching the progress of the measures undertaken by the Governments interested;
• Any other matter which is supplemental, incidental or consequential to any of the above functions.

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