Officials from the Jal Shakti Ministry and various states have agreed to enhance coordination and speed up the progress of water resource projects, including dam safety and flood management. The Regional Conference of State Water Secretaries, led by V. L. Kantha Rao, Secretary of the Department of Water Resources, emphasized the need for integrated strategies to ensure sustainable water resource development.
The conference highlighted the shift towards digital governance in water management, advocating for real-time monitoring using SCADA, API-based data sharing for flood alerts, and the expansion of the Flood Watch mobile application for field officials. It aimed to foster in-depth discussions among states to improve center-state coordination and expedite the implementation of ongoing water resource projects.
State officials from Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, NCT Delhi, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and West Bengal participated in the conference. The agenda included a comprehensive review of the implementation of various schemes by the Department of Water Resources in these states, as well as the utilization of technical expertise from organizations like CWC, CGWB, NWDA, NIH, NDSA, and NWIC.
The officials assessed the adoption status of advisories related to Flood Plain Zoning, Sediment Management, the Dam Safety Act of 2021, Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari 2.0, and Groundwater Extraction Regulation. State government representatives presented updates on the implementation of water resource schemes, highlighting pending issues and their expectations from the Union government. The Secretary of DoWR and RD&GR commended the states’ progress and pledged full support to address pending matters and enhance center-state coordination for effective scheme implementation.
