Himalayan Crisis: J&K’s Geo-Tagging Drive Aims to Save Lakes, Rivers, and Glaciers

New Delhi: In a race against the approaching Himalayan winter, the Jammu and Kashmir government has rolled out an ambitious geo-tagging campaign under the Jal Shakti Abhiyan’s “Catch the Rain” initiative aimed at digitally mapping every water body across forest and non-forest terrain within a month.

“Geo-tagging is not just about coordinates, it’s about accountability,” said Sonam Lotus, a climate scientist. “It empowers to monitor encroachments, prioritize restoration efforts, and design interventions with scientific precision,”.  

Jammu and Kashmir’s water bodies that include Dal, Wular, Manasbal, and Anchar lakes and the rivers like Jhelum, Lidder, and Sindh; and glaciers of the Pir Panjal and Great Himalayas are ecological lifelines. They irrigate paddy fields, sustain biodiversity, and support tourism and hydropower. Yet, they face existential threats. 

“Dal Lake has lost over half its area in the last century due to siltation and encroachment,” noted Dr. Pervez Ahmed of the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir. “Unchecked urbanization and untreated sewage have turned many lakes into eutrophic zones. Without immediate action, we risk irreversible damage.” 

Climate change compounds the crisis in the newly carved union territory. Erratic monsoons, prolonged droughts, and accelerated glacial melt have disrupted water cycles. “We’re seeing summer floods followed by winter shortages,” added Lotus, a climate scientist. “The traditional springs and karezus are drying up, pushing rural communities into water-stressed livelihoods.”

The geo-tagging initiative is part of a broader shift toward community-driven conservation. District water conservation plans for all 20 districts have been uploaded to the JSA portal, offering a scientific framework for sustainable use. Progress in districts like Doda, Ganderbal, Jammu, Bandipora, and Ramban.

The campaign’s five key interventions i.e rainwater harvesting, renovation of traditional water bodies, reuse and recharge structures, watershed development, and afforestation are funded through MGNREGS and Finance Commission Grants.

“This is a model of inter-sectoral convergence,” said a senior official from the Forest Department.

“We’re aligning resources and expertise to catch the rain where it falls, when it falls.” Despite the promise, implementation faces hurdles. Remote terrain, limited technical capacity, and fragmented departmental coordination pose significant challenges. “We need trained personnel, satellite access, and community engagement,” said Ruksana Gani, an NGO coordinator in Srinagar. “Without local ownership, these plans won’t translate into action.”

Experts stress the need for transparency and public participation. “Geo-tagging must be followed by open data access,” added Sonam Lotus. “Let citizens see the maps, track changes, and hold authorities accountable.”

As Jammu and Kashmir grapples with the dual imperatives of development and sustainability, the geo-tagging initiative offers a blueprint for climate-smart governance. “We’re not just plotting points on a map,” said senior government officials who are part of the project. “We’re charting a course toward a secure, verdant future.”

“The urgency is clear. With winter approaching and climate threats mounting, the time to act is now. If successful, this initiative could become a model for other Himalayan states and a proof to the power of data, community and resolve,” added environmentalist Samia Ajaz.