SRINAGAR: The Jal Shakti Department has sought restriction or suspension of hydropower generation through the Sindh Power Canal during the peak irrigation season, citing inadequate canal discharge and its impact on drinking-water supplies in Srinagar and Ganderbal.
The department said the Sindh Power Canal and Sindh Extension Canal are the principal sources of drinking-water supply for more than 13 lakh people in the two districts and provide raw water to 16 major water supply schemes, besides supporting irrigation.
The issue was disclosed in the government’s reply to a starred question by MLA Salman Ali Sagar on uninterrupted water supply.
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According to the department, around 400 cusecs of discharge is required to meet drinking-water and irrigation requirements. However, because of depleted capacity and canal safety concerns, the Power Canal can currently maintain no more than about 300 cusecs.
The department said the shortage becomes particularly acute during the irrigation season from April to September, with reduced availability affecting drinking-water supplies and agricultural activities.
The Sindh Extension Canal is the main raw-water source for the 30 MGD Rangil Water Treatment Plant, the 6.80 MGD Alusteng plant and several other schemes serving areas of Srinagar and rural Ganderbal. These include water supply schemes at Rakhi Zakura, Shuhama, Hadoora, Habak Shanora, Bakura and Takiya Khumulla.
The government said raw-water intake to these schemes is disrupted during the peak irrigation period, affecting households at the tail end of the distribution network. To manage the situation, the department resorts to shift-wise water supplies, rationalisation of distribution and deployment of tankers.
The department said the Sindh Power Canal is fed by the Sindh River and a significant portion of its discharge is initially used for power generation before the remaining water enters the Sindh Extension Canal and is used as a raw-water source for water treatment plants.
It said supplies in the Sindh Extension Canal decline from Hadoora onwards, causing shortages in Khimber and Chatterhama areas of the Hazratbal constituency, particularly during the peak irrigation season and periods of deficient rainfall.
The department said the water scarcity situation is fully resolved once the old Ganderbal hydropower house is shut during the peak season.
In an official communication dated June 13, 2026, the Jal Shakti Department had requested that hydropower generation through the Sindh Power Canal be suspended or restricted up to August 31, 2026, or until adequate discharge was restored, so that available water could primarily meet drinking-water and irrigation requirements.
The department said the old Ganderbal power house was operating at around 3 MW and generated about 4 million units of electricity during June, July and August. It estimated the energy cost for the three-month period at Rs 24 lakh and capacity charges at Rs 25 lakh, putting the total compensation for the period at Rs 49 lakh.
The Jal Shakti Department also said it had transferred Rs 2 crore to the Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Corporation during 2025-26 for maintenance and repairs of the Sindh Power Canal.
The government said the 5 MGD Rangil and 5 MGD Alusteng water treatment plants are nearing completion and commissioning. Their raw water will be drawn from the Sindh Extension Canal at designated locations.
On the contingency arrangement, the department said the existing system is designed primarily for periods when the Sindh Extension Canal is shut for repairs, breach restoration or other emergencies. During such shutdowns, water from the Padshahi Canal is temporarily diverted into the Sindh Extension Canal to maintain drinking-water supplies.
However, the department said the arrangement cannot be operated throughout the year because the discharge available in the Padshahi Canal during the irrigation season is sufficient only to meet the requirements of its own command area.
The government’s documents also indicate that the Sindh Power and Sindh Extension canal system serves a substantial irrigation command area in addition to its drinking-water role, making adequate canal discharge critical for both sectors.
