The Central Water Commission (CWC) is India's premier technical institution in the field of water resources, functioning as an attached office under the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti. The CWC was originally established in 1945 as the Central Waterways, Irrigation and Navigation Commission (CWINC). Its creation was advised by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, then Member in charge of Labour in the Viceroy's Executive Council, to solve the problem of uncoordinated development of waterways, irrigation, and navigation.
The CWC is charged with the general responsibility of initiating, coordinating, and furthering schemes for the control, conservation, and utilization of water resources across the country, in consultation with State Governments. This mandate covers purposes like flood control, irrigation, navigation, drinking water supply, and hydropower development. Its mechanism involves key functions such as flood forecasting, hydrological observation, project appraisal, and dam safety monitoring. The Commission's work is organized into three wings: Designs and Research (D&R), River Management (RM), and Water Planning and Projects (WP&P).
The CWC connects directly to the Ministry of Jal Shakti, which was formed in May 2019 by merging two ministries. A significant recent change is its involvement with the implementation of the Dam Safety Act, 2021, which led to the establishment of the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA). The CWC also provides the technical cadre for the Central Water Engineering Service (CWES). Historically, the CWINC was amalgamated with the Central Electricity Commission in 1951 to form the Central Water and Power Commission (CW&PC), before being separated later.