Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar Pankaj Kumar Sharma today chaired a meeting to review preparations for the upcoming Jal Mahotsav Pakhwada, which will be celebrated across the district from March 8 to March 22, 2026. During the meeting, a detailed overview of the activities notified under the Jal Mahotsav Pakhwada campaign was presented.
The initiative will be conducted at both the district and panchayat levels, covering every village of Kishtwar district with a series of awareness programmes and community-driven activities aimed at strengthening water conservation, sustainability of water sources and improving water services at the grassroots level.
The campaign will commence on March 8, coinciding with the celebration of International Women’s Day, which will be observed as “Nari Neer Shakti Diwas.” The event will be held on 8th March 2026, clubbed with a Potential Entrepreneurship Mela being organised by the District Administration Kishtwar in collaboration with the District Employment & Counselling Centre (DE&CC) Kishtwar at GHSS Bhata, Block Palmar highlighting the crucial role of women in water conservation and management.
The Deputy Commissioner directed the Jal Shakti Department and District Programme Management Unit (DPMU) Kishtwar to prepare a comprehensive calendar of events with dates and venues, which will be shared in the public domain while ensuring the active participation of all concerned departments.
Among the key activities planned under the Jal Mahotsav Pakhwada are Jal Arpan Diwas (Panchayat Level), water testing drives at district and panchayat levels, debate competitions in schools, sanitation drives around water assets, creation of a Water Assets logo and other community-centric programmes designed to promote awareness on water conservation and responsible water use.
Emphasising the importance of public awareness regarding water infrastructure, the Deputy Commissioner directed the ACP and the Jal Shakti Department to compile and share detailed information on all water supply assets across the district with the public and ensure their sanitation and geo-tagging under the “Know Your Water Supply Assets” initiative.
The Education Department was directed to organise debate competitions on the initiative “Main Bhi Jal Rakshak” in all Higher Secondary Schools and High Schools across the district. Additionally, the Jal Shakti Department, DPMU and the Education Department will jointly conduct water quality awareness programmes and water testing demonstrations in these institutions.
To strengthen digital monitoring of water resources, the Deputy Commissioner instructed the Jal Shakti Department and DPMU to organise training sessions on the Sujalam Bharat App for relevant stakeholders. Further, the Deputy Commissioner directed that water testing activities be conducted at both district and panchayat levels to ensure safe and quality drinking water for the public.
The Technical Education Department Kishtwar was also directed to organise World Plumber Day celebrations at ITI Kishtwar on March 11, 2026, recognising the role of skilled plumbing professionals in maintaining water supply systems.
The Deputy Commissioner stressed the importance of effective and time-bound implementation of all scheduled activities and directed the concerned departments to complete all preparatory and pending works at the earliest.
He emphasised coordinated efforts among departments, along with proper monitoring and documentation, to ensure the successful and impactful celebration of Jal Mahotsav across all villages of Kishtwar district.
The meeting was attended by ADDC Vinod Kumar Behnal, ADC Pawan Kotwal, CPO Akhil Thakur, ACP Neeraj Sharma, BDO Hqrs Kishtwar Chandan Manhas, CDPO Rahida Lone, AEE Jal Shakti, besides other officers and concerned staff.