New Delhi, 12 July (H.S.): The Central Government will convene the All India Conference of Water Resources Secretaries on July 13 to deliberate on priority initiatives in the water resources sector with senior officials from States and Union Territories. The conference will also review the progress of major national programmes related to water resources management.

According to the Ministry of Jal Shakti, the conference will be organised by the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation. Union Jal Shakti Minister C. R. Patil will chair the meeting, while Minister of State Raj Bhushan Choudhary and Secretary of the Department V. L. Kantha Rao will serve as co-chairs. Organisations under the Ministry, including the Central Water Commission (CWC), the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) and the National Water Mission (NWM), will also participate.

The conference will deliberate on eight key issues, including the modernisation of the Command Area Development and Water Management Programme, the Catch the Rain campaign, revised appraisal guidelines for irrigation and flood management projects, implementation of rule curves for dam reservoirs, the State Water Reform Framework, comprehensive assessments under the Dam Safety Act, 2021, the progress of the Irrigation Census and the framework for the Model State Water Awards.

The meeting will bring together representatives from all States and Union Territories. Discussions will also focus on implementation challenges related to water conservation across the country and on developing a coordinated strategy to accelerate reforms in the water resources sector.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar