The Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council is stepping up the promotion of water sports in Basohli, using the ongoing Basohli Utsav 2026 to turn the spotlight on adventure tourism in the Kathua district town. The Basohli water sports push took centre stage on Tuesday as the three-day festival, running from October 19 to 21, showcased the region’s growing credentials as a destination for water-based recreation.
Water sports activities at the Water Sports Centre added an element of adventure to the festivities, drawing visitors and officials alike. Ajit Singh, DC GST State Tax Appeals, attended as chief guest in the presence of ADC Basohli Pankaj Bhagotra, CEO of the Bani Basohli Development Authority B.R. Tandon, and Chairman of Vishvasthali Jagdish Brahmi. The activities highlighted the scope for promoting water-based recreation and adventure tourism in Basohli, with the festival’s aquatic programme positioned as one of its key attractions.
The push is part of a bigger plan. A Water Sports Centre at Basohli was sanctioned under the Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP) around three years ago, and after delays, the project is now being expedited on directions from the Lieutenant Governor’s office. Once established in the Ranjit Sagar reservoir area, boys and girls will be trained there for national and international-level water sports events, and officials say it will become one of the most sought-after venues for holding national and international competitions.
Basohli water sports take centre stage at Basohli Utsav
The Basohli water sports showcase at the Utsav is about more than a single festival. Divisional Commissioner Jammu Ramesh Kumar has directed the Secretary of the Sports Council, Nuzhat Gull, to begin holding water sports activities at the existing Jetty Point developed by the Bani Basohli Development Authority, where outsourced boats already operate regularly. The Divisional Commissioner also instructed the Secretary to hold a meeting with the Youth Services and Sports, Forest and Tourism departments to review ongoing activities and adopt a holistic, unified approach to the promotion of aquatic sport in the area.
Basohli water sports centre: the PMDP plan moves ahead
Administrative wheels are turning on the permanent centre. The Deputy Commissioner of Kathua has been directed to issue no-objection certificates for the project where required, while Public Works Department officials have been asked to assess the approach roads to the identified spots. Officials told a review meeting that with the start of water sports in the Ranjit Sagar reservoir area, Basohli and adjoining areas will emerge as a tourist hub. The development of new attractions for tourism promotion is one of the priority sectors of the Union Territory government, and the Basohli water sports project sits at the heart of that strategy for the region.
The long-term vision for Basohli water sports goes beyond tourism alone. Officials want the Ranjit Sagar centre to become a production line for athletes who can represent Jammu and Kashmir — and India — at national championships and international regattas. If the Basohli water sports programme delivers on that promise, the town could follow the path of other Indian adventure hubs that turned natural water bodies into sporting assets. For now, the festival spotlight has given the Basohli water sports push its biggest audience yet — and the Sports Council intends to keep it there.
Basohli water sports and the adventure tourism push
The aquatic push dovetails with Basohli Utsav’s wider celebration of heritage and tourism. Alongside the water-based action, the festival has featured Basohli miniature paintings, Ramleela, folk performances, the Ravi Aarti and traditional sports — with around 360 students from 30 schools taking part in boys’ and girls’ Santholia matches on the Ram Leela grounds. The Jal Jeevan Mission has also partnered with the J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages to promote water conservation through street plays during the Utsav. For the Sports Council, the message is clear: Basohli water sports can put the town on India’s adventure tourism map — and the work to make it happen has already begun.
Events of this kind are typically organised with support from local sports councils and tourism departments, which see adventure sports as a way to draw visitors to lesser-known destinations.