Mr. Shashi Shekhar – Rally for Rivers Board Member

Mr. Shashi Shekhar has initiated far-reaching reforms in the water sector during his stint in the Ministry of Water Resources. He was responsible for introducing emphasis in official policy on water budgeting, water accounting and efficient use of water by changing the cropping pattern.

One of his most significant contributions was to highlight the need to understand riverine ecosystems before undertaking any water resource development project. He also underlined the importance of rapidly depleting groundwater, which contributes to 64% of the total irrigated area in India. Mr. Shekhar believes in the conjunctive use of groundwater and surface water by bringing them under one umbrella.

Mr. Shekhar joined the Indian Administrative Services in 1981. Some of the portfolios held by him include Managing Director of Mineral Development Corporation, Sugar Department, Collector of Pudukkotai and Nilgiris Districts, and senior positions in the Municipal & Water Dept. and Transport and Urban Infrastructure financing.

Later, he moved to New Delhi to join the Ministry of Power as Joint Secretary. He was instrumental in preparing the Energy Conservation Bill which became an Act in 2002. He was appointed as the first Director-General of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency.

He prepared the 12th Plan draft document of the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy wherein he advocated that wind and solar energy should become market-oriented.

He later joined the Ministry of Environment & Forest as Additional Secretary and also Chairman of Central Pollution Control Board. During this period, he dealt with subjects like Environment Clearance, River Pollution Abatement, Wetland Development, Coastal Regulatory Zone etc.

He retired in December 2016 as Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Govt. of India.