Er. Manoj Tripathi, CPES, took over as Chairman of BBMB on September 28, 2023. He is a Mechanical Engineer who graduated with a B.Tech. in Mechanical Engineering from Harcourt Butler Technological Institute, Kanpur in the batch of 1989-1993. He also holds an MBA (Finance) degree and a certificate in Project Management. He has more than 28 years of experience, out of which most of the experience is devoted to hydro power sector which includes aspects related to hydro planning, policy, appraisal, construction, operation & maintenance, contracts, monitoring, etc.

He is an officer of Central Power Engineering Services. Before joining BBMB, he served as Chief Engineer (Hydro Projects Monitoring) at the Central Electricity Authority, Ministry of Power. He also held the position of Part-Time Director at JKSPDC. As Chief Engineer (HPM) at CEA, he was responsible for expediting the progress and tackling issues for 42 under-construction hydro projects totalling 18033.5 MW across the country. Additionally, he oversaw 3 Inter-Governmental/CPSU projects, totaling 3120 MW in Bhutan and Nepal. 

He has worked in various reputable organizations viz. Central Electricity Authority, Ministry of Power, Government of India; NHPC Limited; Mangdechhu Hydro Project Authority, Bhutan; and IFFCO. Additionally, he served as a Part-Time Director in the board of M/s JKSPDC for the last 5 years (2018-2023) before joining BBMB. Throughout his career, he has visited over 50 hydro projects across India and abroad for matters related to project monitoring, resolution of issues/ way forward for expeditious completion, vigilance/ inquiry matters, contractual issues, accidents in projects, etc. 

He had been a Chairman/ Member/ Convenor in several Committees constituted by the Ministry of Power. Some of the major issues dealt by him in these Committees include Inter-Governmental Committee for finding way forward for Punatsangchhu- I hydro project (1200 MW) in Bhutan; Inter- Ministerial Committee for optimizing cost and eliminating delays in tunnel construction across various sectors ( Roads/ Railways/ Water/ Power/ Defence) in India; Empowered Committee/ Claim Settlement Committee/ Safety Committee/ Project Transfer Committee for Loharinagpala HEP (600 MW); High Level Committee for expediting commissioning of Subansiri Lower HEP (2000 MW); 8 member inter-disciplinary Project Oversight Committee for resolution of issues related to Subansiri HEP; Member of Dam Safety Committee for various states; Arbitration Committee for studying reasons of disputes in hydro projects and suggesting effective dispute resolution mechanism; Contracts Committee for suggesting various contract provisions regarding type of contracting, pre-qualifying criteria, etc.; Committee to suggest measures for dealing geological uncertainties in hydro projects and slope instability issues; viability committee for suggesting measures for establishing viability of hydro projects; task force for developing IT portal for monitoring hydro projects; Inquiry Committee for penstock leakage in Kameng/ Fire incident in Srisailam HEP/ Flooding in Khandong HEP, etc.

For improvement in the investigation aspects related to prediction in geology, he has worked on developing a feedback mechanism for monitoring change in geology in various components of the upcoming hydro projects during the construction stage vis-a-vis Survey and Investigation stage. He was also instrumental in the constitution of a Standing Technical Committee for analyzing geological uncertainties in hydro projects.

The Dispute Avoidance Mechanism of engagement of an Independent Engineer and the Dispute Resolution Mechanism through the Conciliation Committee of Independent Experts for the Power Sector were also monitored by him. He also worked to bring out guidelines on slope stability aspects in hydro projects and measures to tackle geological uncertainties in hydro projects.

He has delivered many lectures and presentations on various subjects related to the hydro sector in seminars and conferences. He is also an avid sportsperson and enjoys playing badminton and lawn tennis.

Technical & Administrative Profile of Er. Bijender Singh Nara, Member (Irrigation), Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB)

Concurrent Charge: Chief Engineer, BSL Project, BBMB Sundernagar

Er. Bijender Singh Nara, an accomplished technocrat and career irrigation engineer, assumed the apex-level responsibility as Member (Irrigation), Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) on 27th May 2025, bringing to the fore nearly three decades of deep-rooted technical expertise and multidisciplinary administrative experience in the domain of water resources engineering, irrigation infrastructure rehabilitation, and integrated command area development.

Academic and Professional Credentials

A graduate in Civil Engineering (B.E. Civil), Er. Nara commenced his service with the Irrigation and Water Resources Department, Government of Haryana, on 10th September 1996. Over the course of 28 years and 7 months, he has systematically cultivated a career rooted in hydrological systems planning, structural rehabilitation of canal networks, precision micro-irrigation technologies, and performance-enhancement of hydraulic conveyance and lifting systems.

Engineering Contributions and Technical Prowess

His field operations have been particularly transformative across the southern agro-climatic zones of Haryana, notably in Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Rewari, and Mahendragarh districts, where canal conveyance efficiency had historically been compromised due to cumulative sedimentation, structural fatigue, and suboptimal operation & maintenance (O&M) protocols.

Er. Nara led large-scale structural retrofitting and realignment initiatives of degraded distributaries and minors. These interventions were underpinned by:

• Hydraulic modeling and simulation analysis,
• Geotechnical investigations for canal prism restoration,
• Lining optimization using fiber-reinforced concrete, and
• Desilting and gradient correction to restore hydraulic head for tail-end reach stabilization.

These measures revalidated the design discharge capacities and reinstated equitable irrigation scheduling across the command, directly uplifting tail-end agricultural viability and minimizing conveyance losses.

Revival of Pumped Irrigation Infrastructure

A key technical accomplishment was his execution of electromechanical rehabilitation of dysfunctional pump houses, many of which had remained inoperative due to electrical, mechanical, or civil interface failures. The resuscitation drive included:

• Pump motor rewinding and replacement of impeller assemblies,
• Automation of operational logic through PLC-based control panels,
• Integration of SCADA modules for remote performance monitoring, and
• Retrofit of intake structures to mitigate vortexing and cavitation phenomena.

The net result was the restoration of volumetric water delivery capacities to their design specifications, contributing significantly to demand-based irrigation and climate-resilient water resource management.

For these initiatives, Er. Nara received a Certificate of Appreciation in 2017 from the then Finance Minister of Haryana, Captain Abhimanyu, recognizing his exemplary public service and engineering leadership.

Leadership within BBMB and Strategic Command Assignments

Er. Nara’s previous engagement with the BBMB includes his tenure as Chief Engineer, BSL Project, BBMB Sundernagar from 10th July 2020 to 6th July 2021. During this period, he exhibited an exceptional ability to harmonize cross-disciplinary engineering domains—ranging from dam safety instrumentation, hydromechanical gate operation systems, to sediment management in hydraulic structures—ensuring both structural integrity and optimal energy-water output from the Beas-Sutlej Link.

Prior to and subsequent to this assignment, he held several strategic leadership roles in the Irrigation and Water Resources Department, Haryana, including:

• Chief Engineer, Micro Irrigation and Command Area Development Authority (MICADA) – where he championed drip and sprinkler irrigation proliferation and command area water productivity improvement programs.
• Chief Engineer, Vigilance Unit – overseeing real-time audit protocols, material testing verification, and project compliance mechanisms.
• Chief Engineer, Construction Unit – where he executed large-scale canal construction, cross-drainage works, and sluice gate structures.
• Chief Engineer, Lift Canal Unit – optimizing lift-based irrigation projects through both civil and electromechanical retrofitting.

In addition to his core roles within surface irrigation engineering, Er. Bijender Singh Nara has played a pivotal technical and implementation role in flagship groundwater and participatory water management missions of the Government of India, including the Atal Bhujal Yojana (Atal Jal), Jal Shakti Abhiyan, and the Ground Water Cell initiatives of Haryana

Present Assignments and Dual Capacity Service

At present, Er. Nara operates in a dual-capacity role, simultaneously serving as:

1. Member (Irrigation), BBMB, entrusted with the holistic oversight of the irrigation and water conveyance systems managed by the Board, including the Bhakra, Beas, and BSL projects; and
2. Chief Engineer, BSL Project, BBMB Sundernagar, overseeing the operations, maintenance, and modernization of the complex water transfer infrastructure linking the Beas River to the Sutlej River system.

This dual assignment is both a testament to his unparalleled domain expertise and a mark of institutional confidence placed in his ability to govern high-stakes, interdisciplinary, water resource systems with strategic precision, procedural integrity, and technical foresight.

Er. Jagjeet Singh took over the charge as Member (Power), BBMB on 05.07.2024.  He has joined PSPCL (Erstwhile PSEB) on 16.09.1991.

Qualification: B.E. (Electrical Engineering) from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh.

Work Experience:  He has worked for 24 years in Thermal Power Plants, 2.5 years in Hydel Power Stations, besides enforcement, MMTS, ZKC (earlier known as TTI), P&M.  He has also undergone 1 year training of Power Plant in Germany.

Shri Mohammad Afzal, is presently working in the Ministry of Power as Joint Secretary (Hydro). He is B.SC. (Engg.) in the field of Electrical Engg. (First with Hons.) from AMU, Aligarh and M.E. (First with Hons.) in Power System Engg. from the then University of Roorkee (Now, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee). He Joined Central Electricity Authority in November 1996 and has served in various Divisions like System Engg. & Technology Division, Grid Management Division and Fuel Management Division. During his career of more than 25 years, he gained vast experience in the field of Sub-stations designing of various capacities, monitoring of Regional/National Grid, allocation of power to States/Constituents, assessments & monitoring of fuel to the thermal power stations, gas-based power plant etc. 

 

Shri Darpan Talwar is a Civil Engineering Graduate from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh and has done Masters in Structural Engineering from University of Roorkee (Now llT Roorkee). He is an lndian Engineering Services officer of 1994 batch. He joined Central Water Engineering Services in 1996. ln his 28 years of career so far, he was associated with planning, Design and Appraisal of a number of prestigious water resources projects mostly in Hydropower Sector with specializalion in Design of Underground structures in lndia, Bhutan and Afghanistan. Some of important projects he has been associated with are Tala HE Project (Bhutan), Pykara Ultimate Stage HE Project, the highest head Hydro Electric Plant in Asia, Srisailam Left Bank HEP and Garudeshwar Weir etc.

From 2006-2013, he remained associated with issues related to lndus Waters Treaty 1960 in different positions and represented lndian side in various meetings and tours of Permanent lndus Commission. He also represented lndian side in Secretary Level Talks held between lndia and Pakistan on Tulbul Navigatron Project. He was core member of the team that defended lndia's case related to Kishenganga hydroelectric project taken by Pakistan to Permanent Court of Arbitration, The Hague.

He has been Member in several Committees constituted by Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Power, Central Water Commission, MoRTH, Bureau of lndian Standards. Some of the major issues dealt by him are :

Preparation, Revision of Guidelines for Formulation/Appraisal of DPR for HEP & Pumped Storage Schemes ; Committees constituted to speed up and streamline the implementation of HE & Pumped Storage Prolects; Member of lnter-ministerial Committee for cost optimization & elimination of delays in Tunnel construction; Revision of lndian Standards related to water conductor system under WRD14 & Hydroelectric Powerhouse Structures under WRD15 Sub Committee to review Guidelines for Sediment Management in Water Resources & Hydropower Projects.

Presently, he is working as lndian Commissioner for lndus Waters. He is also involved in inter-state aspects of water resources development amongst Punjab, Haryana, J&K, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan

Sh. Abhay Kumar,  Additional Chief Secretary, Water Resources Department, Govt. of Rajasthan

Sh. Anurag Agarwal, IAS ,

Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Haryana

Haryana Irrigation & Water Resources Department

Shri Krishan Kumar is a 1997 batch IAS officer from Punjab Cadre. Has held numerous important positions in Government of Punjab. Currently posted as Principal Secretary to Government of Punjab, Department of Water Resources.

Sh. Rakesh Kanwar

Principal Secretary / Govt. of Himachal Pradesh

MPP & Power Department, Shimla