SRINAGAR: Additional Chief Secretary, Jal Shakti Department, Shaleen Kabra, on Saturday called for a coordinated, data-driven approach to groundwater management in Jammu and Kashmir, directing the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) to share technical reports and scientific publications with concerned departments to support evidence-based planning.
Chairing a Union Territory-level Coordination Committee meeting on Groundwater Resource Assessment (GWRA-2026), Kabra stressed the need for reliable data, scientific assessment and inter-departmental coordination to strengthen groundwater conservation and long-term water security.
The committee reviewed the proposed assessment of dynamic groundwater resources across 149 assessment units in Jammu and Kashmir, focusing on the methodology for estimating groundwater recharge and extraction, data sharing and the availability of water conservation structures.
Kabra said scientific findings needed to be translated into practical interventions and called for close collaboration among departments and agencies to ensure the sustainable use of groundwater resources.
Secretary, Planning, Development and Monitoring Department, Owais Ahmad, stressed the need to harmonise data maintained by the CGWB and the Union Territory departments to ensure consistency, accuracy and reliability in the assessment process.
Earlier, CGWB Regional Director M. Sivakumar outlined the agenda, highlighting the importance of scientific groundwater assessment and institutional coordination. Senior Scientist Pir Rayees Ahmad presented an overview of the board’s activities in Jammu and Kashmir, including groundwater resource assessment, aquifer mapping and groundwater management studies.
The meeting also discussed the methodology and analytical framework for GWRA-2026 and the implementation of the National Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme (NAQUIM).
The committee reviewed aquifer management studies conducted by the CGWB in Anantnag, Rajouri and the Jammu Urban Agglomeration. The studies are expected to help identify area-specific groundwater challenges and guide targeted conservation and management measures.
CGWB officials shared technical recommendations on groundwater conservation and sustainable utilisation and assured the participating departments of continued scientific and technical support during the assessment process.
The exercise is expected to provide a scientific basis for identifying groundwater management priorities and developing interventions to improve the conservation and sustainable use of water resources across Jammu and Kashmir.
