Bandipora, 20 Aug: Former Minister and PDP leader Naeem Akhtar has urged the Jammu and Kashmir Government to integrate rainwater harvesting and storage systems with the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), particularly in hilly and mountainous habitations facing difficulties due to the absence of dependable perennial water sources.
Akhtar said he discussed the proposal with Additional Chief Secretary Shaleen Kabra during a meeting and subsequently followed up the matter with a detailed note, highlighting the need for a more sustainable approach to drinking water supply in the mountainous regions of Jammu and Kashmir.
In his note, Akhtar pointed out that a significant number of habitations in the Union Territory are situated in mountainous terrain where reliable and perennial sources of water are either scarce or altogether absent. He said that in several cases, JJM schemes have been planned around seasonal springs and streams which may initially appear adequate but often witness a substantial decline in discharge during lean seasons.
According to the former minister, some such water sources have even dried up after schemes were commissioned, making it difficult to maintain assured and sustainable tap-water supply to the concerned habitations.
Akhtar said that ironically, many of these mountainous areas receive substantial rainfall and snowfall every year, but a large portion of this water is lost as surface runoff due to the absence of adequate infrastructure for its collection and storage.
He proposed that small-scale rainwater harvesting structures and storage reservoirs should be incorporated into JJM schemes in habitations where dependable natural water sources are unavailable. The stored water could subsequently supplement drinking water supplies during periods when existing sources face depletion.
He also suggested that, wherever technically feasible, stored water could be conveyed through gravity-based systems, reducing dependence on energy-intensive pumping arrangements.
Akhtar specifically referred to several villages in Bandipora district, including Doban, Malangam, Argam, Chittibandi, Aloosa, Ajas and Guroora, where he said he had personally observed the need for such an intervention.
He also mentioned Hajibal village in Baramulla district, besides instances in Rajouri and Poonch, where villages receive considerable rainfall but continue to face drinking water shortages because of the absence of dependable perennial sources.
To minimise the additional financial burden on the government, Akhtar suggested that rainwater harvesting infrastructure could be developed through convergence with existing government programmes, including the Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP), MGNREGA and schemes of the Rural Development, Irrigation and Flood Control and Agriculture Departments.
He said such convergence could help create durable community assets while making better use of existing resources. He further suggested that ST Sub-Plan funds could be utilised for such interventions in mountainous areas inhabited predominantly by Scheduled Tribe populations.
Akhtar has requested the government to consider issuing appropriate policy directions and technical guidelines for incorporating rainwater harvesting components into JJM schemes in identified vulnerable habitations.
He said such an initiative could significantly improve the sustainability and reliability of rural drinking water supply in the mountainous areas of Jammu and Kashmir.
The proposal seeks to address a key challenge faced by remote hill habitations—where water is available in abundance during the wet season but is not adequately captured and stored for use during periods of water-source depletion.
Akhtar has urged the concerned authorities to examine the proposal and explore its integration into the planning and implementation of JJM schemes in vulnerable areas across Jammu and Kashmir. (KNS)
