The Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD & GR), Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India, will convene the All-India Conference of Senior Most Secretaries of Water Resources Departments of States and Union Territories on 13th July 2026 at Chanakya Hall, Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, New Delhi. Union Minister of Jal Shakti Shri C R Patil will chair the conference, with Minister of State Shri Raj Bhushan Choudhary and Secretary Shri V.L. Kantha Rao co-chairing the event.
The conference aims to strengthen Centre-State coordination on priority initiatives in the Water Resources Sector and review the progress of major national programmes of the Ministry of Jal Shakti. Participants include senior officials from Water Resources Departments of all States and Union Territories, as well as Ministry organizations including the Central Water Commission (CWC), National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA), and National Water Mission (NWM).
Discussions will focus on eight priority agenda items: Status of the Modernisation of Command Area Development and Water Management (M-CADWM) Scheme; Special One-Month Nationwide #CatchTheRain Campaign for strengthening people's participation in water conservation; Revised Draft Project Appraisal Guidelines for irrigation, multipurpose and flood management projects; Rule Curves of Dam Reservoirs and their effective implementation for improved reservoir operations and dam safety; Status of the State Water Reforms Framework (SWRF); Completion of Comprehensive Dam Safety Evaluation (CDSE) under the Dam Safety Act, 2021 by December 2026; Progress of Irrigation Censuses in States and Union Territories; and Framework for Model State Water Awards.
The conference will provide a platform for States and Union Territories to share experiences, discuss implementation challenges, and evolve coordinated strategies to accelerate reforms in the water sector. Deliberations are expected to facilitate timely implementation of the Ministry's ongoing programmes and enhance sustainable water resources management through improved policy coordination, institutional strengthening, efficient project implementation, enhanced dam safety, and greater community participation in water conservation.