News Brief
Central Panel Grants 'In-Principle' Nod For J&K’s 1,856-MW Sawalkot Hydropower Project On Chenab River
Jammu and Kashmir (Representative Image)
The Union environment ministry’s Forest Advisory Committee has granted “in-principle” approval to divert over 847 hectares of forest and ‘jungle-jhari’ land for the 1,856-MW Sawalkot hydroelectric project in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district, Times of India reported.
The move is aimed at accelerating the development of strategically important infrastructure.
The approval, granted on 24 June, covers forest land across Udhampur, Reasi, and Ramban districts, and is conditional upon the project receiving environmental clearance from the UT government.
According to official records, the committee set aside key green requirements, citing national interest and urgency following the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).
The Sawalkot project seeks to tap the hydro potential of the Chenab River, one of the western rivers whose waters, under the IWT, flow largely unharnessed to Pakistan.
The project is designed for non-consumptive use, including hydropower generation, which is permitted under the treaty.
It warned that conducting these assessments could reveal “sensitive hydrological data, which could be exploited by the downstream neighbouring country.”
A day earlier, the Power Ministry also requested an exemption from CIA and CCS to expedite the project, arguing that disclosure of data could compromise national interests.
The Jammu and Kashmir UT government echoed this concern, noting that since the Chenab falls under the Indus Waters Treaty, publication of such studies posed a security risk.
The committee agreed to waive the CIA and CCS studies, which are typically required to evaluate environmental flow, biodiversity, muck disposal, and traffic impact.
However, it imposed conditions such as ensuring dam safety, implementing soil and moisture conservation measures, and securing mandatory environmental clearance from the UT government.
