The Centre has cleared the way for the 1,856-MW Sawalkote Hydro Electric Project on the Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir, recommending its environmental clearance. The project, seen as strategically important, is being revived after the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan.
Stalled for around four decades, Sawalkote is one of country’s biggest hydropower projects in the Chenab basin. It is a key part of India’s plan to fully utilise its share of water from the western rivers under the 1960 treaty.
Its revival follows New Delhi’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. The move now allows India to freely build projects on the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab rivers.
Under the IWT, the three eastern rivers, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej, were allocated to India for exclusive use. The three western rivers, Indus, Jhelum and Chenab, were reserved for Pakistan, though India can still use them for limited purposes such as run-of-the-river hydropower generation, navigation and fisheries.
The project will be built by National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) Limited at an estimated cost of Rs 31,380 crore. Spread across Ramban, Reasi and Udhampur districts, the run-of-the-river project will include a 192.5-metre-high concrete dam and underground powerhouses capable of producing about 7,534 million units of electricity every year.
Once completed, Sawalkote will be the largest hydropower project in the Union Territory (UT). It will help meet power demand and provide much-needed grid stability for northern states.
The project holds both developmental and strategic importance.
Apart from boosting power generation, the project will strengthen India’s ability to manage and store the Chenab’s waters, a right allowed under the treaty but rarely used because of engineering challenges and diplomatic sensitivities with Pakistan.
The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) on river valley and hydropower projects, under the Union environment ministry, reviewed the updated proposal on September 26. The plan covers 1,401.35 hectares of land, including 847.17 hectares of forest area. The project had already received Stage-I forest clearance in July.
As per the panel’s minutes released on October 9, no protected area lies within 10 km of the project site. The nearest sanctuary, Kishtwar High Altitude National Park, is about 63 km away.
The NHPC's revised environmental-management plan allocates about Rs 594 crore for mitigation and restoration measures, up from Rs 392 crore earlier. The plan includes catchment-area treatment, muck disposal, biodiversity conservation and long-term monitoring of the air, water, soil and aquatic ecosystems.
The project will impact 13 villages and displace around 1,500 families, mostly from Ramban district. The NHPC has prepared a comprehensive rehabilitation plan that promises new housing, skill development and livelihood support for affected families.
Around 1,500 people will be employed during construction, with about 200 technical staff retained during operation.
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