Assam's geographic location amplifies its vulnerability to the annual monsoon, whenever neighbouring hill states receive heavy rainfall. When hydropower dam authorities in neighbouring states are compelled to release water from reservoirs to prevent dam collapse, the sudden release of water worsens flooding in downstream areas of Assam. Experts say that, unlike the old Brahmaputra Board, which mainly focused on controlling floods, the NEWMA will be a group that addresses both serious flooding and the accumulation of thick silt and sand in the hardest-hit areas of Sivasagar district and the Nagaland hills above the Dikhow River, which improve water resources in the Brahmaputra and Barak river basins. This new approach aims to help the states in the area manage their water better; however, the small time frames, along with poor slope cutting and large-scale tree cutting in the hills, have exacerbated the flooding situation in Assam. In view of the deepening crisis, it has become difficult for Assam to manage the flood situation without the active cooperation of its neighbouring states. The central government's plan to create the North East Water Management Authority has given people in Assam hope for tackling the increasing floods in the Brahmaputra plains, which are made worse by water released from hydropower dams in nearby states and damage to the river's ecosystem in its tributaries. Unlike its predecessor organisation, i.e., the Brahmaputra Board, which was basically a single-discipline body for flood control, the NEWMA will be a multi-disciplinary body that originates in these states and flows through Assam before joining the main river. It is time for Assam to press for the expedited constitution of the NEWMA for integrated flood management in the Brahmaputra. The comprehensive water resources development in the Brahmaputra and Barak river basins will enable the states in the region to better manage their water resources and collaborate with neighbouring states. Ironically, despite the draft of the proposed NEWMA bill being prepared in 2023 and the draft Cabinet note being circulated among the relevant stakeholders, the bill has been delayed. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources praised the plan to replace the Brahmaputra Board with NEWMA and urged the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation under the Ministry of Jal Shakti to do everything possible to get the bill passed by Parliament, which would allow for the creation of the authority to better manage water resources in the Northeastern region as a whole. The parliamentary panel noted that the basin's chief ministers will be on the Governing Council of the authority, chaired by the Union Minister of Jal Shakti, giving the states more influence over NEWMA. It also expressed the view that, unlike its predecessor organisation, the Brahmaputra Board, which was primarily focused on flood control, NEWMA will be a multi-disciplinary body that will also manage other water bodies, such as lakes, and their relationship with the Brahmaputra and Barak basins as integrated units. The creation of NEWMA will give Assam a great chance to tackle environmental problems related to the rivers it shares with nearby states, ensuring that any projects using water from these rivers, like hydroelectric projects or irrigation dams, are built in a way that considers the impact on areas downstream in Assam and distributes the water fairly among the states. The main goal of creating the Brahmaputra Board in 1980 through a law was to plan and carry out flood control and bank erosion solutions in the Brahmaputra valley and related areas. The idea to create NEWMA comes from a 2015 plan by the central government to change the Brahmaputra Board into the North-East Brahmaputra River Rejuvenation Authority (NEBRRA) because the northeastern states were unhappy with how the Board was working and asked for changes. It's puzzling that the Brahmaputra Board's restructuring or replacement has been delayed for over a decade, even as flooding has worsened in Assam and nearby states. Early agreement and consensus on the constitution of NEWMA for a comprehensive water resources development in the Brahmaputra and Barak river basins will enable the states in the region to better manage their water resources and manage annual flood and erosion problems in a coordinated manner. As the neighbouring states depend on seamless connectivity through Assam for their economic growth, coordinated flood management in the entire Brahmaputra and Barak basins is in the interest of all the states in the region. Assam and its neighbouring states urgently need to advocate together for the establishment of NEWMA.