J&K Notifies Common Duct Policy 2026 to End Repeated Road Digging for Utilities
Srinagar, Oct 5: KNT: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has notified the Common Duct Policy 2026, introducing a framework for shared underground utility corridors aimed at ending repeated excavation of roads for laying and maintaining electricity, water, telecom, gas and other utility networks.
The policy, approved by the Council of Ministers and notified by the Housing and Urban Development Department, makes integration of common ducts mandatory at the design stage of new road projects and provides for phased retrofitting of existing infrastructure.
Under the new framework, multiple utility services will be accommodated through shared underground corridors, reducing the need for different agencies and service providers to repeatedly dig up completed roads for separate installations, repairs or expansion.
The policy also provides for single-window Right of Way clearances and cost-sharing arrangements among utility providers. A digital mapping mechanism through the “Call Before You Dig” platform is intended to help agencies identify existing underground utility assets before undertaking excavation.
The government has said the policy is aimed at protecting public infrastructure, reducing operation and maintenance costs, minimising traffic disruption caused by road cutting and supporting more planned urban development and improved digital connectivity across Jammu and Kashmir.
The framework also provides for shared ducts to be made available on a transparent, non-exclusive and non-discriminatory basis to participating utility providers.
With the policy now notified, its implementation across new projects and the phased integration of existing infrastructure will determine how effectively the long-standing problem of repeated road excavation is addressed in the UT. [KNT]
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