The four ongoing hydropower projects in Jammu and Kashmir over the Chenab River and its tributaries are likely to be commissioned in 2027-28, officials privy to the details said on Friday, asserting that India has made steady progress in the works.
Chenab river is one of three Western rivers that fall under Indus Water Treaty,1960, which India suspended as part of punitive measures against Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. A total of 26 people, 25 tourists and a local, were killed in the attack at Baisaran meadow.
The projects--Pakal Dul (1,000 MW), Kiru (624 MW), Kwar (540 MW) and Ratle (850 MW)--are being implemented through joint venture between NHPC and the Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation (JKSPDC). Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stones of Pakal Dul, Kiru and Kwar projects on May 19, 2018, February 3, 2019, and April 22, 2022, respectively.
“Pakal Dul project has made 66% progress, Kiru 55%, Kwar 19% and Ratle project is 21% complete,” said a senior official of the JKSPDC, requesting not to be named.
The official said that for the Kirthai project, 930 MW, a memorandum has been signed between JKSPDC and NHPC and clearances are under process. On Ratle project, he said that a coffer dam, a pre dam structure, was nearing completion. “We expect it to be completed by November 2028,” he added. The official added that the work on Ratle project gained momentum only after 2023.
{{/usCountry}}The official said that for the Kirthai project, 930 MW, a memorandum has been signed between JKSPDC and NHPC and clearances are under process. On Ratle project, he said that a coffer dam, a pre dam structure, was nearing completion. “We expect it to be completed by November 2028,” he added. The official added that the work on Ratle project gained momentum only after 2023.
{{/usCountry}}Pakistan had protested the Ratle and Kishenganga projects, alleging their designs violated the Indus Water Treaty. In June 2024, a five-member delegation from Pakistan and a World Bank-appointed neutral expert, Michel Lino, had inspected the Ratle power project at Drabshalla in Kishtwar.
These four projects are expected to generate over 10,541 million units (MU) of electricity annually.
J&K has an estimated hydropower potential of 18,000 MW, with 11,283 MW in the Chenab basin alone. However, only 23.81% (3,540 MW) of the total identified capacity has been harnessed to date, the officials said.
According to a government document, 15 hydel power projects aggregating 7,768 MW are at currently various stages, with six under construction, two at the award stage and seven at the detailed project report (DPR) clearance stage. Of the total 18,000 MW potential, 3,084 MW is in Jhelum basin and 500 MW in the Ravi basin.