This chapter provides a concise introduction and overview of water law and policy in India. It examines the overall regulatory framework governing water, from the constitutional provisions to the diverse sectoral laws, policies and administrative directions that make up water law. It also introduces some of the basic concepts, such as water rights, the right to water, state control, and public trust. It then analyses general developments over the past couple of decades in terms of policy reforms (water sector reforms) and water law reforms.
