Centre clears 260 MW Dulhasti Stage-II hydropower project in Jammu and Kashmir

A panel under the Ministry of Environment has approved the 260-megawatt Dulhasti Stage-II hydropower project on the Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, officials said on Saturday.

The clearance was granted by the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) on hydel projects during its 45th meeting earlier this month, enabling the government to proceed with floating construction tenders for the run-of-the-river project. The project is estimated to cost more than Rs 3,200 crore.

The approval comes against the backdrop of India suspending the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan following the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam in April this year. In its meeting minutes, the panel noted that while the project parameters were originally designed in line with the provisions of the 1960 treaty, the agreement now stands suspended with effect from 23 April 2025.

Under the Indus Waters Treaty, Pakistan had rights over the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab rivers, while India exercised control over the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej. With the treaty in abeyance, the Centre has accelerated work on several hydropower projects in the Indus basin, including Sawalkote, Ratle, Bursar, Pakal Dul, Kwar, Kiru, and Kirthai I and II.

Dulhasti Stage-II will be developed as an extension of the existing 390 MW Dulhasti Stage-I hydropower project, which has been operational since 2007 and is run by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Limited.

As per the project design, water will be diverted from the Stage-I power station through a separate tunnel measuring about 3.7 km in length and 8.5 metres in diameter, creating a horseshoe-shaped pondage for the new facility. The plan also предусматри a surge shaft, a pressure shaft and an underground powerhouse with two units of 130 MW each, taking the installed capacity to 260 MW.

The project will require around 60.3 hectares of land, including 8.27 hectares of private land from the villages of Benzwar and Palmar in Kishtwar district.

Officials said the project is expected to strengthen power generation capacity in the region and forms part of the Centre’s broader strategy to harness hydropower potential in Jammu and Kashmir.

With PTI inputs