New Delhi, July 12 (IANS) Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Paatil on Monday will lead discussions on water and flood management projects and ‘Catch The Rain Campaign’ at a meeting of top officials of Water Resources Departments of states and Union Territories, an official said on Sunday.

Paatil will interact with officials at the All-India Conference of Senior Most Secretaries of Water Resources Departments of states and Union Territories at Chanakya Hall in Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, an official statement said.

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.

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 statement added.

The conference will discuss, among other issues, the Special One-Month Nationwide #CatchTheRain Campaign for strengthening people’s participation in water conservation, the statement said.

The conference is being organised by the River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation under the Ministry of Jal Shakti’s Department of Water Resources.

Raj Bhushan Choudhary, Minister of State for Jal Shakti, and V.L. Kantha Rao, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation under the Ministry of Jal Shakti’s Department of Water Resources, will also attend the conference.

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 organisations, 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, including: 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 and Revised Draft Project Appraisal Guidelines for irrigation, multipurpose and flood management projects.

Other agenda items include: Rule Curves of Dam Reservoirs and their effective implementation for improved reservoir operations and dam safety; Status of the State Water Reforms Framework (SWRF) and Completion of Comprehensive Dam Safety Evaluation (CDSE) under the Dam Safety Act, 2021, by December 2026.

Paatil will also steer discussions on Progress of Irrigation Censuses in States and Union Territories and Framework for Model State Water Awards, the statement said.

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.

–IANS

rch/khz