# Naeem Akhtar urges rainwater harvesting in J&K’s hilly areas 2026-08-20T16:01:39+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Former Jammu and Kashmir minister and PDP leader Naeem Akhtar has urged the government to integrate rainwater harvesting and storage systems into the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), especially for hilly and mountainous habitations that lack dependable perennial water sources. In a meeting with Additional Chief Secretary Shaleen Kabra, Akhtar followed up with a detailed note arguing that many JJM schemes rely on seasonal springs and streams that dry up during lean months, leaving tap-water supply unsustainable. Akhtar pointed out that mountainous areas receive heavy rainfall and snowfall but lose most of it as surface runoff for want of collection infrastructure. He proposed building small-scale rainwater harvesting structures and storage reservoirs under JJM, with water conveyed through gravity-based systems where possible. To minimise costs, he suggested convergence with existing programmes such as MGNREGA, the Vibrant Villages Programme, and schemes of the Rural Development, Irrigation and Agriculture Departments. Akhtar specifically cited villages in Bandipora district, Doban, Malangam, Argam, Chittibandi, Aloosa, Ajas and Guroora, and Hajibal in Baramulla, besides areas in Rajouri and Poonch. He also recommended that ST Sub-Plan funds be used for predominantly Scheduled Tribe hill habitations. The government has been asked to issue policy directions and technical guidelines for incorporating rainwater harvesting into JJM in vulnerable areas. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The Jal Jeevan Mission aims to provide every rural household with a functional tap-water connection by 2024, but in mountainous J&K, seasonal water sources make that goal fragile. Akhtar's proposal echoes a known engineering solution: capture monsoon and snowmelt runoff that currently goes waste. The real test is implementation, J&K's topography makes construction expensive, and convergence with MGNREGA or VVP requires district-level coordination that has historically been slow. Watch for the government's formal response, expected in the coming weeks, and whether the Jal Shakti ministry issues revised technical guidelines for hill regions. ## Coverage - greaterkashmir.com Straight news agency-style report, no editorial framing or slant. This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Jal Jeevan Mission, Jammu and Kashmir, MGNREGA, Naeem Akhtar, Shaleen Kabra Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/naeem-akhtar-urges-rainwater-harvesting-in-jks-hilly-areas/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/naeem-akhtar-urges-rainwater-harvesting-in-jks-hilly-areas/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/