The proposal was cleared by the Council of Ministers through Cabinet Decision No. 067/07/2026 dated May 8, 2026, after obtaining concurrence from the Finance Department. The restructuring, which is fully finance neutral, has been framed on the principles of administrative efficiency and scientific manpower management, they added.

 

The department, which comprises the Public Health Engineering (PHE) and Irrigation & Flood Control (I&FC) wings, is currently executing large-scale infrastructure projects including water supply schemes, filtration plants, pumping stations, canals, dams, and flood protection works across J&K.

 

In a key decision, the government has created the post of Secretary (Technical) in the Jal Shakti Department to strengthen technical decision-making and ensure timely scrutiny and clearance of hydraulic projects within the department itself, officials said.

 

A separate Design, Inspection and Quality Control (DIQC) mechanism has also been approved for hydraulic works to focus on design vetting, quality assurance, material testing, and technical supervision of projects, they added.

 

As part of the reorganisation, two posts of Superintending Engineers have been created by bifurcating Hydraulic Circle Jammu Rural into Hydraulic Circle-I and II.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelNew divisions have been established at Gandoh, Gurez, Tangdhar, and Mendhar, which officials said would improve work monitoring, emergency response during floods and breakdowns, reduce administrative delays, and strengthen service delivery in remote and border areas.

 

The restructuring also includes reorganisation of Mechanical Sub-Divisions to improve maintenance and repair systems for water supply and flood management infrastructure.

 

In a move aligned with the Centre’s Jal Jeevan Mission, the government has approved two dedicated Water Quality Monitoring Divisions at Jammu and Srinagar under the proposed DIQC setup. These divisions will supervise water testing laboratories across the UT and help ensure compliance with prescribed drinking water quality standards, officials said.

 

The cadre review also addresses long-pending manpower management issues through encadrement of posts, rationalisation of deputation reserves, and reassignment of posts within the existing cadre structure.

 

Notably, the restructuring involves creation of 43 posts against the reduction of 62 existing posts, ensuring the entire exercise remains finance neutral without imposing any additional burden on the public exchequer, officials added.

 

The government said the reorganisation is expected to significantly strengthen the institutional and technical capacity of the Jal Shakti Department and improve delivery of water-related services across Jammu and Kashmir. (KNS)