The Ministry of Jal Shakti will convene the All India Conference of senior-most Secretaries of Water Resources Departments of States and Union Territories in the national capital on July 13 to strengthen Centre-State coordination and review progress of key initiatives in the water sector.
The conference is being organised by the Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD & GR).
Union Minister of Jal Shakti C R Patil will chair the conference, while Minister of State for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Choudhary and Secretary, DoWR, RD & GR, V L Kantha Rao will also co-chair the deliberations.
Senior officials from Water Resources Departments of all States and Union Territories, along with representatives from the Ministry of Jal Shakti and its affiliated organisations, are expected to participate in the meeting. Officials from institutions, including the Central Water Commission (CWC), the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) and the National Water Mission (NWM), will also attend the conference.
The meeting will focus on priority issues concerning water resource management, implementation of national programmes and reforms aimed at improving water security across the country.
Eight key agenda items will be discussed during the conference, including the progress of the Modernisation of Command Area Development and Water Management (M-CADWM) Scheme, strengthening public participation in water conservation through the special one-month nationwide #CatchTheRain campaign, and the revised draft project appraisal guidelines for irrigation, multipurpose and flood management projects.
The participants will also deliberate on the formulation and implementation of rule curves for dam reservoirs to improve reservoir operations and enhance dam safety.
Other important issues on the agenda include the status of the State Water Reforms Framework (SWRF), completion of the Comprehensive Dam Safety Evaluation (CDSE) under the Dam Safety Act, 2021, by December 2026, progress of irrigation censuses in States and Union Territories, and the framework for Model State Water Awards.
The conference will provide a platform for States and Union Territories to share experiences, highlight implementation challenges and develop coordinated strategies for accelerating reforms in the water sector.
The Ministry of Jal Shakti said the deliberations would help facilitate effective implementation of ongoing programmes and promote sustainable management of water resources through improved policy coordination, institutional strengthening, efficient project execution, enhanced dam safety measures and greater community participation in water conservation initiatives.