Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) is restricting the Union Territory from harnessing its huge hydroelectric power potential mainly due to storage constraints as per the treaty.
India and Pakistan signed the IWT in 1960 after nine years of negotiations, when the World Bank was the signatory to the pact which set out a mechanism for cooperation and information exchange between the two sides on the use of waters of a number of cross-border rivers in Jammu and Kashmir.
"As a fallout of the treaty barriers, J&K pays a heavy price in peak winter months when power generation hits low, creating hardships for its people," Abdullah, who also holds the Power portfolio, said while speaking at the Conference of the power ministers of states and Union Territories here.
Abdullah spoke about the limiting clauses in the IWT that restrict Jammu and Kashmir from realising its full hydel potential by only permitting run-of-the-river projects.
"Hydel power is J&K's only viable energy source. The region is compelled to rely on power imports from other states, which adversely impacts its economy," the chief minister said.
To address this, he said J&K would require special compensation from the government of India, including viability gap funding and equity assistance, to harness its untapped hydro-energy potential.
Abdullah said the support would not only help in meeting the region's energy needs but also contribute to national clean energy goals.
The chief minister also sought the Centre's intervention in holding Central Public Sector Undertakings like PESL and National Thermal Power Corporation accountable in fast-tracking loss reduction works under the premier Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) in J&K.
He also requested the Power Ministry to consider gap funding for the implementation of electric infra works under RDSS.
During the session on solar power potential and green energy, the chief minister dwelled upon the solar power energy being generated in Ladakh and said J&K would like to procure extra energy the UT is able to generate.
Abdullah arrived here on Monday evening to participate in the Conference of Power Minister of states & UTs at India International Convention & Expo Centre Dwarka.
He stayed for the entire day, participated in all technical sessions and put forth the viewpoint of the J&K government during the conference.
The conference was also attended by Additional Chief Secretary to Chief Minister Dheeraj Gupta, Principal Secretary Power H Rajesh Prasad and Managing Directors of J&K Discoms.
Union Minister for Power Manohar Lal chaired the conference.
Minister of State for Power Shripad Yesso Naik was also present at the Conference.
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