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. Shri C R Patil, Union Minister of Jal Shakti, will chair the conference. Shri Raj Bhushan Choudhary, Minister of State, Ministry of Jal Shakti and Shri V.L. Kantha Rao, Secretary (DoWR, RD&GR) will also co-chair the conference.

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. The Conference will witness the participation of senior officials from the Water Resources Departments of all States and Union Territories as well as the Ministry of Jal Shakti, including its organizations, attached and subordinate offices such as the Central Water Commission (CWC), National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA), National Water Mission (NWM) among others.

During the conference, discussions will focus on eight priority agenda items covering:

• 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 also provide an opportunity 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 the timely implementation of the Ministry of Jal Shakti's ongoing programmes. The Conference forms part of the Ministry of Jal Shakti's continued efforts to enhance sustainable water resources management through improved policy coordination, institutional strengthening, efficient project implementation, enhanced dam safety and greater community participation in water conservation.

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ND/HM