The prolonged delay in appointing a Chairperson and Member to the Jammu and Kashmir Water Resources Regulatory Authority (JKWRRA) reflects a serious administrative oversight that risks compromising the management of one of the most vital resources-water. Initiated almost a year ago, the appointment process has not reached its logical conclusion, leaving the Authority functioning below its mandated strength and impeding its ability to make crucial regulatory decisions. This stalemate is not merely a bureaucratic delay-it is a governance vacuum that bears significant repercussions for the people of the Union Territory, the environment, and the overall sustainability of water resources. As mandated, the JKWRRA must comprise a Chairperson and three Members. Presently, two Member positions, including the substantive Chairperson, remain vacant, with one Member functioning as interim Chairperson. This incomplete composition renders the Authority devoid of the necessary quorum, and thereby unable to fulfil its statutory duties. The consequences are manifold, spanning regulatory paralysis, weakened oversight, and stunted policy evolution.
Water governance, especially in a region as hydrologically sensitive as Jammu and Kashmir, demands robust institutional mechanisms. The Chairperson and Members of JKWRRA are not ceremonial roles-they are pivotal in shaping water policy, defining entitlements, ensuring equitable distribution, regulating usage, and approving water resource schemes. With increasing stress on water resources due to climate variability, population growth, urban expansion, and agricultural demands, a fully functional Authority is indispensable. The absence of a regular Chairperson deprives the Authority of strategic leadership. Without full membership, the Authority is unable to form the quorum necessary for decision-making.
Among the most immediate impacts of the Authority’s incomplete composition is its inability to revise the water tariff. The last tariff revision dates back to 2021 and has been extended year after year in the absence of fresh assessments and approvals. This not only results in a direct loss of revenue for the Government but also distorts the financial sustainability of the PHE and Irrigation Departments. The failure to reflect actual operational costs in tariffs means an inefficient subsidy regime, disincentivizing water conservation and prudent usage. The Authority is supposed to function as a watchdog, ensuring that departments remain aligned with sustainable practices, rational distribution frameworks, and ecological priorities. Without this oversight, the risk of over-extraction of groundwater, encroachment upon water bodies, and inequitable water distribution grows alarmingly. It also leaves vital functions such as reviewing water use licenses, promoting efficient irrigation practices, and enforcing water-saving regulations unattended.
The ecological health of Jammu and Kashmir’s rivers, lakes, wetlands, and groundwater systems is already under stress from unregulated construction, pollution, and unmonitored extraction. The absence of an empowered regulatory body means these stressors go unchecked. A functional JKWRRA can and must act as a custodian of these resources-monitoring trends, initiating research, and guiding planning for long-term sustainability. Its research and policy support roles are critical for engineers, urban planners, and administrators across departments.
To restore the Authority to its intended efficacy, the Government must act decisively and transparently. The Jal Shakti Department has already received a “good number” of applications meeting eligibility criteria. There is no justifiable reason for the delay to stretch into a second year. The selection process must now be fast-tracked through a high-level scrutiny committee empowered to finalize appointments within a strict deadline with focus on transparency, merit and experience.
The JKWRRA is not an ornamental institution. It is a critical cog in the machinery of sustainable development, water security, and good governance in Jammu and Kashmir. Its current state of limbo is symptomatic of a broader administrative inertia that must be addressed urgently. The cumulative cost of inaction includes ecological degradation, public dissatisfaction, inefficient utility services, and a significant revenue deficit. The Government must recognize that effective water regulation is foundational to economic stability, environmental sustainability, and public health.
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