The Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation will convene senior water-resources secretaries from states and Union Territories in New Delhi for a national review of major programmes and operational priorities.

Officials from the Ministry of Jal Shakti and its organisations will participate alongside the state and Union Territory departments. The listed institutions include the Central Water Commission, National Dam Safety Authority and National Water Mission.

The conference is intended to strengthen coordination between the Centre and states in a sector where project approvals, reservoir operations, irrigation systems and safety responsibilities are distributed across different authorities.

One agenda item is the status of the Modernisation of Command Area Development and Water Management scheme. The discussion is expected to examine progress in improving the delivery and management of irrigation water in command areas.

Officials will also review a one-month nationwide Catch the Rain campaign focused on public participation in water conservation. This places community engagement alongside administrative and engineering measures in the conference programme.

Other listed subjects include revised draft appraisal guidelines for irrigation, multipurpose and flood-management projects and the use of reservoir rule curves to improve operations and dam safety. Rule curves guide decisions on how reservoir storage should be managed at different times of the year.

The meeting will assess completion of comprehensive dam-safety evaluations required under the Dam Safety Act, 2021. The official agenda sets December 2026 as the target for completing that exercise.

The conference covers eight priority items in all. Its practical value will depend on whether participating authorities leave with agreed responsibilities, timelines and follow-up mechanisms for the schemes and safety work under review.