Sawalkote Hydropower Project:
Months after India put the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) on hold, it is now moving to revive a long-stalled Sawalkote Hydropower Project on the Chenab, first envisioned six decades ago but held back by the treaty with Pakistan.
- Sawalkote Hydropower Project is a 2,185 megawatt (MW) run-of-the-river hydroelectric plant proposed on the Chenab River in the Ramban District of Jammu and Kashmir.
- It will be the largest hydroelectric project in the Union Territory and one of the biggest in North India.
- The project was first conceptualised in the 1980s and revised several times due to environmental and technical concerns.
- The project, to be executed by National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) Ltd in collaboration with Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation Limited (JKSPDC), is estimated to cost ₹22,704 crore
- The project would feature a 5-metre roller-compacted concrete gravity dam.
- It is expected to generate over 7,000 million units of electricity annually.
- It is expected to enhance power availability in the Union Territory, especially during winters when electricity shortages are frequent.
- It also has the potential to turn J-K into a power-surplus region, creating scope for exporting surplus energy to the national grid.
- By regulating the flow of the Chenab River, the Sawalkote project could contribute to flood mitigation downstream, while also ensuring better water management for agriculture and domestic use.
