No Plans for New PHE Division at Achabal; Existing Water Schemes Sufficient, Says Jal Shakti Minister

JAMMU — February 09, 2026Minister for Jal Shakti, Javed Ahmed Rana, clarified in the Legislative Assembly on Monday that the government currently has no proposal to establish a new PHE Division at Achabal, asserting that the region is already effectively served by existing administrative structures. Responding to a query by Legislator Abdul Majeed Bhat, the Minister explained that the Achabal area falls under the jurisdiction of the Jal Shakti (PHE) Division Bijbehara and is managed through the Sub-Divisions of Anantnag and Kokernag. These two sub-divisions currently oversee 157 Water Supply Schemes (WSSs), providing reliable water access to 31,448 households.

Minister Rana emphasized that the current workload is well-balanced and managed efficiently, leaving no functional or administrative justification for a separate division.The Minister further provided a detailed financial and operational breakdown of the water infrastructure in the region, noting that 70 of the schemes feeding the area have been initiated under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), UT Capex, and NABARD.

These projects represent a significant investment of approximately ₹17,182.02 lakh. Out of these 70 schemes, 52 are already fully operational, while the remaining projects are in various advanced stages of execution. During the session, which saw supplementary questions from Legislators Altaf Ahmad Wani and Hasnain Masoodi, the Minister reiterated that the department’s focus remains on completing ongoing projects to ensure that every household in the district receives a steady supply of potable water through the existing manageable sub-divisional framework.