1. Short title and commencement.—(1) This Act may be called the River Boards Act, 1956.
(2) It shall come into force on such date1
as the Central Government may, by notification in the
Official Gazette, appoint.
2. Declaration as to expediency of control by Central Government.—It is hereby declared that it is
expedient in the public interest that the Central Government should take under its control the regulation
and development of inter-State rivers and river valleys, to the extent hereinafter provided.
3. Definitions.—In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—
(a) “Board” means a River Board establishment under section 4;
(b) “Governments interested”, in relation to a Board, means the Governments of those States
which, in the opinion of the Central Government, are likely to be interested in, or affected by, the
functions of the Board under this Act;
(c) “member” means a member of a Board and includes its Chairman;
(d) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act.