SRINAGAR: The Government of Jammu and Kashmir has constituted an Expert Committee to conduct a comprehensive Hazard, Vulnerability and Risk Assessment (HVRA) for the Union Territory. The move aims to strengthen disaster preparedness and integrate risk mitigation into governance and planning.
Government Order No 168-JK(GAD) of 2026, issued by the General Administration Department, formally sanctions the formation of the committee, chaired by Safi Ahsan Rizvi, IPS, Advisor (Mitigation), National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). The committee includes senior administrative secretaries from Jal Shakti, Public Works (R and B), Housing and Urban Development, Forest, Ecology and Environment, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, as well as divisional commissioners from Jammu and Kashmir.
The panel also comprises expert members, including Prof. (Dr) Vinod Kumar Sharma, Vice Chair of the State Disaster Management Authority, Dr MPS Bisht of HNB. Garhwal University, Dr DP Kanungo, Chief Scientist at CSIR-CBRI Roorkee, and Ms. Shachi Jain, Director, Central Water Commission JK. The Deputy Secretary to the Government, DMRR and R, will serve as Member Secretary. The chairperson may co-opt additional members or agencies if required.
The committee is tasked with completing its report within three months and will focus on multi-hazard risk assessment including seismic activity, floods, landslides, glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), and forest fires. Its responsibilities include demarcating hazard zones, preparing a JK HVRA atlas, prioritising sectoral intervention strategies, integrating HVRA outputs into planning, recommending institutional modalities for updates, and reviewing existing data and plans to strengthen governance.
By establishing this committee, the JK government aims to bolster disaster resilience, promote informed planning, and enhance mitigation strategies across all sectors vulnerable to natural hazards.
