Shaleen Kabra pushes for data-driven groundwater management in J&K

Srinagar, Oct 17: Underscoring the importance of scientific assessment and coordinated action for safeguarding Jammu & Kashmir’s groundwater resources, Additional Chief Secretary, Jal Shakti Department, Shaleen Kabra, Saturday chaired a Union Territory-level Coordination Committee (UTLCC) meeting to review the assessment of groundwater resources across J&K under the Groundwater Resource Assessment (GWRA-2026).
The meeting focused on strengthening inter-departmental coordination, streamlining data sharing and leveraging scientific expertise to ensure reliable assessment, informed planning and sustainable management of this vital natural resource.
Emphasising the need to translate scientific knowledge into actionable interventions, the Additional Chief Secretary, JSD, Shaleen Kabra directed CGWB to share its technical reports, scientific publications and relevant resource documents with the concerned UT departments.
This, he termed, will facilitate informed planning and decision-making, strengthen groundwater conservation measures and enable departments to formulate interventions based on reliable scientific evidence.
The ACS while highlighting the significance of the exercise also called for close collaboration among all stakeholder departments and agencies to ensure the long-term sustainability of groundwater resources and strengthen water security across Jammu & Kashmir.
He underscored the need for a well coordinated, data-driven and science-based approach to groundwater management, with due emphasis on conservation, efficient utilisation and the long-term protection of available resources.
Earlier, Dr. M. Sivakumar, Regional Director, Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) outlined the agenda, highlighting the importance of scientific groundwater assessment, coordinated data sharing and institutional collaboration for effective groundwater resource management.
On this occasion Dr. Owais Ahmad, Secretary, Planning, Development and Monitoring Department, emphasised the need for harmonisation of data between CGWB and the concerned UT departments to ensure consistency, reliability and accuracy in the assessment process.
During the meeting, Pir Rayees Ahmad, Senior Scientist, CGWB, made a detailed presentation on the Board’s ongoing activities in Jammu & Kashmir, covering groundwater resource assessment, aquifer mapping, groundwater management studies and other related technical interventions.
The presentation highlighted CGWB’s role in providing scientific inputs, technical guidance and expert recommendations to support the UT Government in assessing groundwater resources, characterising aquifers and formulating sustainable groundwater management strategies for the times to come.
Various issues concerning groundwater management were discussed during the meeting, with CGWB officers offering technical recommendations and suitable management measures for the conservation and sustainable utilisation of groundwater.
Detailed deliberations were held on the methodology and analytical framework for GWRA-2026, inter-departmental data sharing and the implementation of the National Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme (NAQUIM).
The committee reviewed the proposed assessment of dynamic groundwater resources across 149 assessment units in Jammu & Kashmir, emphasising the need for timely, accurate and reliable data on groundwater recharge, extraction and associated water conservation structures.
The members stressed the importance of coordinated efforts among all concerned departments, backed by CGWB’s scientific expertise, to ensure a robust and credible assessment of groundwater availability and utilisation across the Union Territory.
The exercise is expected to provide an important scientific basis for identifying groundwater management priorities and supporting evidence-based interventions for the conservation and sustainable utilisation of this precious resource.
The meeting also reviewed the findings of aquifer management studies undertaken by CGWB in Anantnag, Rajouri and the Jammu Urban Agglomeration. These studies offer valuable scientific insights for identifying area-specific groundwater management challenges, strengthening conservation measures and developing targeted strategies for sustainable groundwater utilisation.
Concluding the Regional Director, CGWB also responded to queries raised by the committee members and assured the concerned departments of continued technical support and scientific assistance from the Board throughout the assessment and management process to culminate it successfully across the length and breadth of J&K.