Pune: Maharashtra Pushes Major Water Reform; New Committee to Transform Water Planning and River Systems

Mumbai, 8th May 2026: The state government has assigned wide-ranging powers and responsibilities to the newly constituted State Water Resources Development and Management Committee to ensure that water resource planning moves beyond paper-based policies and is implemented effectively on the ground.

The committee will work on eight key objectives, ranging from making rivers perennial and ensuring equitable water distribution to developing inland waterways for cargo and passenger navigation.

The decision has been taken under the provisions of the Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority Act, 2005 to enable scientific planning and sustainable management of the state’s water resources. The committee has been formed as part of the broader vision of “Developed Maharashtra 2047” and to ensure effective implementation of an integrated state water framework.

The committee will be chaired by the Chief Minister’s advisor on water policy and resource management. Senior officials, including Additional Chief Secretaries or Principal Secretaries from departments such as Water Resources, Agriculture, Water Supply, Forests, Energy, Soil and Water Conservation, Transport, Urban Development, Tourism, and Environment, will serve as members.

To ensure effective functioning, the committee will meet at least once a month during the first three months and thereafter at least once every quarter.

As part of its mandate, the integrated state water plan will be periodically updated to ensure more practical and scientific use of natural water resources. The committee will also carry out close monitoring of implementation measures aimed at making rivers perennial or at least semi-perennial through targeted watershed development programmes.

These measures will include the construction of check dams, micro-storage reservoirs, and focused development of command areas. Special emphasis will be placed on inter-basin water transfer planning to balance demand and supply across regions, with the long-term goal of ensuring piped drinking water supply to every household.

In addition to water management, the committee will also focus on ambitious initiatives in inland water transport and environmental conservation. Plans will be developed to enable large vessels to navigate rivers through a structured inland waterways system, which will also be monitored and regulated.

Equal priority will be given to water reuse, river rejuvenation, and making rivers pollution-free as part of the state’s long-term sustainable water management strategy.