SRINAGAR: The Government has said it is closely reviewing all major hydroelectric projects in Jammu and Kashmir, including the long-pending 1,856 MW Sawalkote scheme, as part of a wider assessment of the Union Territory’s power expansion plans. The information was placed before the Rajya Sabha by Power Minister Manohar Lal in response to a question by Sat Paul Sharma.
According to the Ministry, Jammu and Kashmir currently has 3,360 MW of hydroelectric capacity already commissioned, while another 3,052 MW is under construction and 2,449 MW is at the planning stage.
The Sawalkote project, which is one of the largest hydroelectric proposals on the Chenab River, falls in the category of schemes where clearances are nearly complete but administrative approval is still under consideration. The Ministry noted that all statutory permissions except Stage-II forest clearance have been accorded. Sawalkote was handed over to NHPC under a Build-Own-Operate-Transfer arrangement following agreements signed with the Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation in 2021.
The Government confirmed that it is regularly reviewing both the projects under construction and those at the planning stage. Senior officials from the Ministry of Power, the Central Electricity Authority, NHPC and the Jammu and Kashmir administration are involved in periodic meetings to monitor progress, settle outstanding issues and accelerate decision-making. These include reviews through eSamikSha, the online monitoring platform used to fast-track inter-ministerial coordination and to track delays at the project and district level. The Ministry said that the Boards of the Joint Venture companies—Chenab Valley Power Projects Limited and Ratle Hydro Power Corporation Limited—also include representatives of both NHPC and the Union Territory administration, which enables a closer institutional mechanism for oversight.
The Centre acknowledged delays across four major hydropower projects being executed through these Joint Ventures, with a combined capacity of 3,014 MW. Each of these projects, including Ratle, Pakaldul, Kiru and Kwar, has reported disruptions ranging from high water discharge and flooding to labour strikes, local agitations, land availability problems and the after-effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. In the case of the Ratle project, the Ministry reported flooding in diversion tunnels after monsoon discharge breached protective dykes, as well as slow progress due to restricted blasting in inhabited areas. Pakaldul has faced the longest list of impediments, including an initial court case, major slope failure at a Tunnel Boring Machine site, labour unrest and delays in land handover. Kiru and Kwar, too, have experienced frequent strikes, logistical issues, road blockages, and disruption in equipment supplies during the pandemic. These project-specific problems, the Ministry said, are being monitored continuously.
In response to concerns about local employment and benefits for project-affected communities, the Government said that hydropower projects executed by Central Public Sector Enterprises, including NHPC, are mandated to provide contractual and service-based employment to local residents. This includes formal opportunities for Project Affected Families during both construction and operation phases. The companies also extend exclusive bidding opportunities for local entrepreneurs, which the Ministry said is meant to strengthen livelihood generation and community participation. Beyond employment, the CPSEs are required to undertake a range of developmental initiatives in education, health, social welfare, skills and local infrastructure in and around the project zones.
The Centre also underlined that commissioned hydropower projects eventually contribute free power to Jammu and Kashmir and generate revenue through the Local Area Development Fund. These mechanisms, it said, form an important component of long-term development and help address structural energy deficits in the region. The Ministry’s data shows that the UT’s current operational capacity arises from a mix of NHPC-run stations such as Salal, Dulhasti, Uri and Kishanganga, and JKSPDC-run stations including the Baghlihar units and the Lower Jhelum and Upper Sindh plants.
With Sawalkote now awaiting its final layer of clearance and administrative approval, the project remains central to the next phase of hydropower expansion on the Chenab basin. Officials said that once approved, the scheme is expected to significantly raise the UT’s generation capacity and further strengthen the basin-wide development model implemented jointly by NHPC and the UT authorities.
