Source: DH
Context: The Union Environment Ministry’s Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) has granted a fresh environmental clearance to the Sawalkote Hydroelectric Project on the Chenab River in Jammu & Kashmir.
About The Sawalkote Hydro Project:
What it is?
- The Sawalkote Hydroelectric Project is a run-of-the-river hydropower project designed to harness the flow of the Chenab River for clean energy generation.
- It is being developed by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) Ltd. and will be among India’s largest hydroelectric projects in the Indus basin.
River and Location
- River: Chenab River — a west-flowing tributary of the Indus.
- Location: Ramban district, Jammu and Kashmir.
- The project area spans approximately 1,159 hectares, including riverine and forest land.
Historical Background:
- First proposed: 1984.
- Initial environmental clearance: Granted in 2017 when managed by the Jammu & Kashmir Power Development Corporation (JKPDC).
- Transfer to NHPC: In 2021, NHPC took charge for development and operation till 2061.
- Re-clearance (2025): Granted after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty (April 2025), expediting strategic projects on western rivers.
Key Features:
- Installed Capacity: 1,856 MW (Stage I – 1,406 MW; Stage II – 450 MW).
- Structure: 192.5-metre-high concrete gravity dam with a reservoir capacity of 530 million cubic metres.
- Energy Generation: Approx. 8,000 million units (MUs) annually.
- Project Cost: Revised to ₹31,380 crore (up from ₹22,000 crore).
