Groundwater in Jammu Kashmir Stable but Local Contamination Poses Concern: Report

AhmadJunaidJ&KAugust 22, 2025376 Views





   

SRINAGAR: Jammu Kashmir’s groundwater reserves remain largely secure compared to several other parts of the country, but official data shows that certain districts in the Union Territory are beginning to experience localised contamination.

Figures tabled in the Lok Sabha on August 21 reveal that the region has a total annual groundwater recharge of 2.55 billion cubic metres (BCM). Of this, 2.30 BCM is deemed extractable, and the current annual extraction stands at 0.51 BCM. The stage of extraction — a key indicator of groundwater stress — is just 22.28 per cent, placing Jammu and Kashmir well below the national average of 60.47 per cent. This indicates that, overall, the region is not under immediate groundwater stress and still has scope for sustainable use of its reserves.

However, the Central Ground Water Board’s (CGWB) 2024 quality report flags contamination in isolated pockets. In samples analysed from 250 sites across the Union Territory, 9.2 per cent showed nitrate levels above the safe limit of 45 mg/L, spread across six districts. While no traces of fluoride or heavy metals were detected above critical thresholds, the presence of nitrates is linked to excessive fertiliser use and poor sewage management — a growing concern as agriculture expands and urbanisation intensifies.

Nationally, the report notes serious challenges in states such as Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Delhi, where extraction has far exceeded recharge and contamination levels are severe. Punjab records a staggering 156.87 per cent stage of extraction, while Rajasthan and Haryana also show levels above 100 per cent, indicating over-exploitation. By contrast, Jammu and Kashmir’s relatively low dependence on groundwater reflects its reliance on snow-fed rivers and spring systems.

Experts, however, warn against complacency. With rising demand for irrigation, urban water supply, and industry, groundwater dependence is expected to increase in the coming years. Localised nitrate contamination already hints at the pressures building on the aquifers in Kashmir’s agrarian belts and parts of Jammu. The government has said that monitoring is being expanded under the CGWB’s quality mapping programme, and corrective steps are being taken where unsafe concentrations are identified.

The Ministry of Jal Shakti has also highlighted state-level initiatives across India such as Rajasthan’s Mukhyamantri Jal Swavlamban Abhiyan and Maharashtra’s Jalyukt Shivar. While Jammu and Kashmir does not feature in this list, officials said that the region has its own traditional water-harvesting structures and spring rejuvenation efforts, which need to be scaled up in line with the Jal Shakti Abhiyan.

As climate change accelerates glacier retreat and rainfall patterns become erratic, analysts believe groundwater will play an increasingly critical role in Jammu and Kashmir’s water security. For now, the Union Territory remains in a comparatively safer zone, but the appearance of nitrate contamination in six districts serves as an early warning of risks that could deepen if preventive measures are not pursued in time.



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