The Government of India has granted environmental clearance for the 1,856 MW Sawalkote Hydro Electric Project on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir, marking the revival of one of the largest hydropower development ventures in the region.

This ₹31,380-crore project, to be implemented by NHPC Limited, had remained dormant for nearly four decades due to environmental and technical delays but now stands as a key component of India’s evolving water policy and strategic agenda following the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan.

The clearance represents a notable policy shift in New Delhi’s approach toward the Indus basin rivers. Following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, India suspended the IWT of 1960, originally mediated by the World Bank, which allocated the eastern rivers — Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej — entirely to India, while granting Pakistan predominance over the western rivers — Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab.

Although India retained limited non-consumptive rights under the treaty, the suspension enables more assertive infrastructure development across these western waterways. The Sawalkote project thus symbolises both strategic assertion and developmental intent in the context of India’s water resource utilisation in Jammu and Kashmir.

Sawalkote is designed as a run-of-the-river project with minimal storage. It will include a 192.5-metre-high roller-compacted concrete dam and underground powerhouses capable of producing approximately 7,534 million units of electricity annually.

When operational, Sawalkote will become the largest hydropower facility in the Union Territory, significantly boosting power availability and grid stability in India’s northern states. It also complements the national goal of increasing renewable and peaking power capacity, especially crucial for energy demand management in winter months.

The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change evaluated the project on 26 September and recommended clearance after reviewing supplemental mitigation plans. The project area covers 1,401 hectares, including 847 hectares of forest land, with Stage-I forest clearance already granted in July. Importantly, the closest protected ecosystem — Kishtwar High Altitude National Park — lies about 63 kilometres away, indicating minimal direct overlap with ecologically sensitive zones.

NHPC’s revised environmental management blueprint allocates ₹594 crore for mitigation and restoration efforts, an increase from ₹392 crore in earlier plans. The measures encompass catchment-area treatment, controlled muck disposal, biodiversity conservation, and round-the-year air, water and soil monitoring to ensure minimal ecological degradation. The plan emphasises maintaining the flow regime of the Chenab and instituting advanced monitoring structures for environmental compliance through the project’s lifecycle.

Despite its benefits, the project will affect 13 villages, primarily in Ramban district, leading to the displacement of around 1,500 families. NHPC has committed to a comprehensive rehabilitation and resettlement plan that includes new housing, livelihood assistance, vocational training, and community development measures.

The construction phase is expected to generate around 1,500 direct jobs, while about 200 skilled technical positions will be retained during operation, contributing to local economic activity. Public consultations held in 2016 revealed mixed reactions — communities demanded fair compensation, better healthcare and education facilities, and partial access to generated electricity — while voicing concerns over deforestation and river ecosystem changes.

Reviving Sawalkote after decades of delay illustrates how policy and environmental regulations are being recalibrated to advance strategic infrastructure in border regions. Government agencies, including the Forest Advisory Committee and the Ministry of Home Affairs, argued that newer environmental norms should not retroactively apply to legacy projects conceived before 2013, thereby enabling long-pending approvals. The decision aligns with the broader thrust of using hydropower as an instrument of both energy security and geopolitical leverage.

Beyond its technical and developmental benefits, the Sawalkote project carries significant hydro-political weight. By enhancing India’s control over the Chenab’s flow regime and advancing its capacity to regulate downstream water releases, the project introduces a strategic variable into India’s relations with Pakistan. It represents part of a wider national strategy to optimise water use from the western rivers, thereby strengthening India’s position in regional water diplomacy following the IWT suspension.

The Sawalkote Hydro Electric Project stands as a confluence of engineering advancement, strategic foresight, and regional development. It embodies India’s intent to combine ecological responsibility with geopolitical pragmatism by fully utilising its share of the Indus basin’s resources. As work begins on this long-delayed but vital project, it reflects a new phase in Indian hydropower development — one where national security, sustainability, and self-reliance flow together in the same current.

Agencies