Dulhasti Hydropower Project Gets Nod In Jammu Kashmir Amid Abeyance Of Indus Water Treaty

Srinagar: The second stage of the Dulhasti hydroelectric project in Jammu and Kashmir has got environmental clearance, paving the way for its construction amid the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan.

The approval came from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)’s 45th Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) on December 19. The 260-megawatt run-of-the-river project will be constructed at a cost of over 3200 crore over the Chenab River in the Kishtwar district. The nod will lay a path for floating tenders for the construction of the project.

This comes as India has suspended the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, placing renewed focus on harnessing the Chenab’s hydropower potential. But the project is following the parameters of the provision of the treaty, an official document noted.

India has fast-tracked clearances for hydropower after India's Operation Sindoor, following the Pahalgam attack, which killed 25 civilians.

Earlier, the 1,856 MW Sawalkot Hydroelectric Project on the Chenab River, which is of national importance and the biggest hydroelectric project in Jammu and Kashmir, was cleared. It was conceived in the 1960s but was stuck for over four decades due to Pakistan’s objections to it.

In 1960, the 1960 IWT had given India control of the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej rivers and Pakistan the Indus, Chenab and Jhelum (western rivers), with India being allowed a limited use of waters from the western rivers.

The second stage of the Dulhasti hydroelectric project is an extension of the Dulhasti hydroelectric project (Stage I 390 MW), which was commissioned in 2007 by the National Hydropower Company Limited (NHPC). In January 2021, the NHPC Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the J & K government for the execution of Dulhasti Stage-II on a build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) basis for the period of 40 years.

The project will utilise the existing Stage-I dam and reservoir and will also raise new infrastructure, including a 3.6-km headrace tunnel and an underground powerhouse equipped with two 130 MW units. The expansion also features a 215-metre tailrace tunnel to facilitate additional power generation, said a study for the Environmental Impact Assessment study.

Once completed, it will further boost the power generation capacity of Jammu and Kashmir and is expected to generate 1093.11 million units.

Data from the Union Power Ministry showed that 3,360 megawatts of hydroelectric projects were commissioned, while 3,052 MW are under construction and 2,449 MW are at the planning stage.

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