Entry 17 of State List is a provision within List II (State List) of the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India, which delineates the legislative powers of the State governments. This entry grants State Legislatures the exclusive power to make laws concerning "Water, that is to say, water supplies, irrigation and canals, drainage and embankments, water storage and water power". The concept originated with the Constitution's commencement in 1950, establishing a federal division of powers where the States primarily manage water resources within their territory.
The mechanism of this provision is crucial, as the State's power is not absolute; the entry is explicitly made "subject to the provisions of entry 56 of List I". This connection means that the Union Parliament can legislate on the regulation and development of inter-State rivers and river valleys if it declares by law that such action is expedient in the public interest. Furthermore, this framework connects to Article 262 of the Constitution, which empowers Parliament to provide for the adjudication of any dispute or complaint relating to the waters of any inter-State river or river valley. While the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976, shifted five subjects from the State List to the Concurrent List, Entry 17 itself was not replaced or amended and has remained a subject of State jurisdiction, albeit one constrained by the Union's power over inter-State water bodies.