Indus Water Treaty put on hold, government clears another Chenab hydel project

NEW DELHI: Paving the way for the construction of a project of strategic significance following suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), a panel of the environment ministry has approved the 260 MW Dulhasti State-II hydropower project on the Chenab river in Kishtwar district of Jammu & Kashmir.

It comes two months after a similar approval was granted for construction of the 1,856-MW Sawalkot hydroelectric project on the same river in Ramban district of the UT. Approvals to the project came from the expert appraisal committee of the ministry on hydel projects.




Both these projects will harness the potential of the Chenab - one of the western rivers along with Indus and Jhelum whose waters currently flow unchecked to Pakistan despite India's right to use it for non-consumptive purposes, including hydro-power generation.

Estimated to cost Rs 3,200 crore, Dulhasti State-II is an extension of 390 MW Dulhasti State-I, which has been successfully operating since 2007. Under the plan, water will be diverted from Stage-I through a separate tunnel.

The project will require over 8 hectares of private land to be acquired from two villages, Benzwar and Palmer, in Kishtwar district.

So far, only 3,482 MW capacity of hydro-power generation units has been constructed by India out of an estimated potential of about 20,000 MW in Jammu & Kashmir which could be harnessed from power projects on its western rivers.

IWT was signed between India and Pakistan for sharing of waters of the Indus Basin. Under the treaty, signed in 1960 with the mediation of World Bank, the total waters of the eastern rivers - Sutlej, Beas and Ravi - was allocated to India for unrestricted use while the waters of western rivers - Indus, Jhelum and Chenab - was allocated largely to Pakistan. India has, however, not been fully utilising its legal share due to lack of storage capacity.
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