Centre’s Green Panel Approves Dulhasti Stage-II Hydel Power Project on Chenab River
New Delhi, Dec 27: 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 has been granted by the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) on hydel projects during its 45th meeting held earlier this month. With the approval in place, the government can now proceed with floating construction tenders for the run-of-the-river project, which 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 Pahalgam terror attack in April this year. According to the meeting minutes, the committee observed that the Chenab basin waters were earlier shared between India and Pakistan under the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty, 1960, and that the project parameters had initially been planned in accordance with the treaty.
However, the panel noted that the Indus Waters Treaty stands suspended with effect from April 23, 2025. When the treaty was in force, Pakistan had rights over the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab rivers, while India exercised rights over the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej rivers. With the treaty now in abeyance, the Centre has accelerated efforts to develop several hydroelectric projects in the Indus basin, including Sawalkote, Ratle, Bursar, Pakal Dul, Kwar, Kiru, and Kirthai-I and II.
The Dulhasti Stage-II project is an extension of the existing 390 MW Dulhasti Stage-I Hydroelectric Project, which has been operational since 2007 and is run by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Limited (NHPC).
As per the project plan, water from the existing Dulhasti Stage-I power station will be diverted through a separate tunnel measuring about 3,685 metres in length and 8.5 metres in diameter. This tunnel will lead to a horseshoe-shaped pondage designed for the Stage-II project.
The project will also include a surge shaft, a pressure shaft and an underground powerhouse equipped with two units of 130 MW each. Once completed, the project will have a total installed capacity of 260 MW and is expected to significantly boost power generation in the region.
The total land requirement for the project has been estimated at around 60.3 hectares. Of this, about 8.27 hectares of private land will be acquired from two villages, Benzwar and Palmar, in Kishtwar district.
Officials said the project is part of the government’s broader push to harness hydropower potential in Jammu and Kashmir and strengthen energy infrastructure in the region.
