Revisiting Dr. B. R. Ambedkar's Blueprint for India's Water Development

Water has always been central to India’s economic development, social justice, and ecological sustainability. Long beforewater scarcity and governance emerged as pressing global concerns, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar articulated a comprehensive and forwardlooking vision for India’s water development. As an economist, jurist, and statesman, Ambedkar approached water not merely as anatural resource but as a public good essential for equitable growth and human dignity. This research article revisits Dr. Ambedkar’sblueprint for India’s water development by examining his contributions to irrigation policy, river valley projects, institutionalframeworks, and water governance during the colonial and early post-independence period. The study situates Ambedkar’s ideaswithin contemporary debates on water scarcity, federalism, sustainability, and social justice. It argues that Ambedkar’s integratedapproach to water management, combining economic planning, technological advancement, and constitutional principles, remainshighly relevant in addressing India’s present and future water challenges.