HISTORY OF MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES

The history of the subject 'Irrigation and Power' dates back to 1855, when it was made the responsibility of the then newly created Department of Public Works but the work on irrigation and related policy got impetus only in 1858 when a severe famine occurred. It was then decided to take up the work of canal construction  on an extensive scale and an Inspector-General of Canals was appointed to oversee expeditious large-scale construction work. Keeping in view the important and constructive role played by the development of irrigation facilities in the country, it was decided to place this subject under the charge of an irrigation expert with the designation of Inspector-General of Irrigation. He functioned under the administrative control of Secretary, Public Works Department.

Under the Government of India Act, 1919, irrigation became a provincial subject and the responsibility of the Government of India was confined to advice, coordination and settlement of disputes over right on waters of inter-provincial rivers. On the recommendations of the Inschape Committee, Public Works Department, was merged with the Department of Industry in 1923 and it was renamed as Department of Industries and Labour, inter-alia, looking after the subjects of 'Irrigation & Power'. A Central Board of Irrigation and Power was created in 1927. With the bifurcation of Department of Industries and Labour in 1937 into the Department of Communication and Department of Labour, the latter was assigned the work relating to 'Irrigation and Power'.

On the recommendations of the Secretariat Re-organisation Committee, a new Department of Works, Mines and Power was created which looked after the subject of irrigation and power. In 1951, a new Ministry of National Resources and Scientific Research was set up and it took over the subjects of 'Irrigation and Power' from the Ministry of Works, Mines and Power.

A separate Ministry of Irrigation and Power was set up in August 1952 to look after the subject of irrigation as well as power. In the wake of unprecedented floods, a Flood Control Board was constituted to embark upon a flood control programme at the highest level. In 1969, an Irrigation Commission was set up to go into the question of future irrigation development programme in the country in a comprehensive manner.

To help in ensuring a unified and coordinated direction for the speedy implementation of irrigation and command area development projects as well as for providing other inputs for maximising agricultural production, a separate Department of Irrigation was set up in November 1974 under the re-constituted Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation consequent upon the bifurcation of erstwhile Ministry of Irrigation and Power.

In January 1980, the Department of Irrigation came under the reconstituted Ministry of Energy and Irrigation. However, a full-fledged Ministry of Irrigation came into being on 9.6.80 when the then Ministry of Energy and Irrigation was bifurcated and erstwhile Department of Irrigation was raised to the level of a full fledged Ministry. With a view to permitting a coordinated and comprehensive view of the entire Irrigation Sector, in addition to major and medium irrigation, Minor Irrigation Sector (both surface and groundwater) as also Command Area Development Programme were brought within the ambit of the Ministry of Irrigation. The following items of work were transferred from the Ministry of Agriculture (Department of Agriculture and Cooperation) to the Ministry of Irrigation w.e.f. 22.7.1980:-

i) Irrigation for agricultural purposes

ii) Minor and emergency irrigation

iii) Groundwater exploration.

In January 1985, the Ministry of Irrigation was once again combined under the Ministry of Irrigation and Power. However, in re-organisation of the Ministries of the Central Government in September 1985, the then Ministry of Irrigation and Power was bifurcated and the Department of Irrigation was re-constituted as the Ministry of Water Resources. This recognition of the necessity of planning for the development of the country's water resources in a coordinated manner resulted in a change in the character of the Ministry and the Ministry has been assigned a nodel role in regard to all matters concerning the country's water resources.

With the redesignation of the Ministry of the Water Resources, purposive steps were taken to fulfil the role expected of the Ministry with this new perspective calling for overall planning and coordination of all aspects of the development of the country's water resources. The imperative need was to formulate a water policy laying down, inter-alia, priorites for the various uses of water. Therefore, a National Water Resources Council was constituted under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister to look into this aspect. This Council adopted the National Water Policy in September,1987.