• Environment ministry okays ‘run-of-the-river’ Dulhasti Stage II, to be built in held Kashmir
• Indian govt forging ahead with several hydel projects in Indus basin after unilaterally suspending treaty
• Water weaponisation in climate change-prone region ‘neither sane nor acceptable’, warns Sherry Rehman
NEW DELHI / ISLAMABAD: India’s Ministry of Environment has been pondering clearances for a slew of controversial hydroelectric projects on the Chenab River in the aftermath of the Pahalgam incident earlier this year. Yet, it does not seem to share serious apprehensions that leading environmentalists have expressed over their threat to a fragile Himalayan ecology.
Last week, a panel under the ministry approved the 260-megawatt Dulhasti Stage-II hydropower project on the Chenab River in Kishtwar district of India-held Jammu and Kashmir, according to The Hindu.
Earlier, in October, it was reported that environmental clearances were revived for the larger Sawalkote hydro-electric project on the same river.
The clearances came against the backdrop of India unilaterally suspending the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) after blaming Pakistan over the Pahalgam incident — an allegation Islamabad had denied, terming the suspension of the 1960 treaty “an act of war”.
Earlier this month, Pakistan’s Foreign Office had sounded the alarm on New Delhi’s “weaponisation of water” following abrupt variations in the flow of the Chenab and Jhelum rivers, which caused consternation among farmers in Punjab.
At the time, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had noted that the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) had also reaffirmed the continued validity of the treaty and its dispute-resolution mechanisms. In addition, he cited concerns expressed by UN rapporteurs over India’s actions in connection with the treaty.
The projects
The Sawalkote project has been in the works for decades, and has faced numerous delays related to forest clearances and the compliance compulsions of the Indus Waters Treaty. As of now, the 1,856MW project is still said to be in the pre-construction stage. Its environment clearances have been reheated several times over.
The Dulhasti Stage II is a 258MW project, conceived as a complementary run-of-the-river scheme to utilise the water discharged from the existing 390MW Dulhasti Power Station “more efficiently”. It is a smaller component of the frequently discussed Chenab basin projects. It is expected to cost around $35 million.
According to The Hindu, “With the treaty now in abeyance, the centre is pushing ahead with several hydroelectric projects in the Indus basin, such as Sawalkote, Ratle, Bursar, Pakal Dul, Kwar, Kiru, and Kirthai I and II.”
