JAMMU, 3 July 2025: In a bid to improve water supply for farmers grappling with erratic rainfall and inadequate irrigation, Jammu and Kashmir’s Minister for Jal Shakti, Forest, Ecology & Environment and Tribal Affairs, Javed Ahmed Rana, along with Minister for Agriculture Production Department, Javid Ahmad Dar, reviewed the region’s irrigation systems in a high-level meeting at the Civil Secretariat on Wednesday.
The review meeting brought together legislators including Ghulam Ahmad Mir, Hasnain Masoodi, Irshad Rasool Kar, Hilal Akbar Lone, and Irfan Hafiz Lone, who shared concerns about irrigation shortfalls in their respective constituencies.
Discussions centered on the performance of Lift and Gravity irrigation schemes, projects supported through NABARD, CAPEX, and centrally sponsored programs, as well as water management strategies to boost agricultural productivity.
Minister Rana acknowledged the pressures farmers are facing, especially during paddy cultivation, and called for both short- and long-term measures to augment irrigation supply. “There is no doubt that we are facing a critical situation due to adverse climatic conditions and shortcomings in the system, but we have to find solutions,” Rana told officials.
He directed that an effective response mechanism be developed to address farmers’ complaints swiftly, along with comprehensive assessments of machinery and infrastructure under current climatic stresses.
Superintending Engineers were instructed to submit detailed reports identifying ways to upgrade and strengthen local irrigation resources. The ministers also pressed for the timely completion of ongoing projects, routine monitoring of public services, and accelerated execution to better serve farmers.
One priority area discussed was the revival of older canal networks that have been encroached upon over the years. Rana asked departments to document such encroachments and illegal mining activities threatening the irrigation system so that appropriate legal action could follow.
Additional Chief Secretary of the Jal Shakti Department, Shaleen Kabra, presented a detailed overview of the irrigation infrastructure, covering Lift and Gravity irrigation schemes, NABARD-supported projects under various Rural Infrastructure Development Funds, and schemes proposed through PMKSY-HKKP. Kabra warned that low precipitation had driven down river gauge readings significantly, negatively affecting multiple irrigation systems across the region.
Officials committed to stepping up oversight and resource management to protect farm livelihoods amid mounting climate pressures.
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