In what is being hailed as a ‘watershed’ moment in India’s water diplomacy and strategic infrastructure planning, the Union Government has moved forward with the long-awaited 1,856 MW Sawalkote Hydroelectric Project in Jammu and Kashmir. This bold initiative comes months after India formally suspended the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan on April 22, 2025, a treaty that had remained untouched since its signing in 1960.
The Sawalkote Project is being developed near Sidhu village in the Ramban district, nestled along the Chenab River, which is a key tributary in the Indus basin. The project will span both Ramban and Udhampur districts, approximately 120 km from Jammu and 130 km from Srinagar, positioning it strategically close to both regional hubs.
From 1960s vision to 2025 reality
Originally conceived in the early 1960s by the Central Water Commission (CWC), the Sawalkote Project remained dormant for decades due to political sensitivities and treaty restrictions. Geological surveys and investigations had already begun by the Geological Survey of India between 1962-63 and 1970-71, marking the early scientific foundations of the project. The latest Detailed Project Report (DPR) was submitted in February 2018 by the Sawalkote Consortium, but it’s only now, after the IWT freeze, that actual progress is taking shape.
According to tender documents, the project aims to tap the hydropower potential of the Chenab River in a crucial stretch between the Baglihar Project upstream and the Salal Project downstream.
Engineering marvel on the Chenab
The Sawalkote Hydroelectric Project is designed as a run-of-the-river scheme and will feature state-of-the-art infrastructure, including:
- A roller-compacted concrete gravity dam, rising 192.5 meters from the deepest foundation point.
- Three horseshoe-shaped diversion tunnels, measuring 965 m, 1,130 m, and 1,280 m, to manage both monsoon and non-monsoon floods.
- Flood management capacities of 2,977 cumec (non-monsoon) and 9,292 cumec (monsoon).
- An underground power house on the left bank of the Chenab River.
- Eight units of 225 MW each, totalling 1,800 MW, supplemented by a 56 MW auxiliary station to handle environmental flow, total installed capacity: 1,856 MW.
- The auxiliary power station will use the tailrace water to meet mandatory environmental flow obligations, ensuring ecological balance is maintained even as power generation scales up.
Chenab: The artery of Jammu & Kashmir’s water power
The Chenab River, which flows through both Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir, is one of the three primary rivers of the region, the other two being the Indus and the Jhelum. The Chenab River basin lies within the Western Himalayas, with over 10,000 km square of catchment area in India permanently above the snowline, making it ideal for sustained hydroelectric power generation.
The upper half of the Chenab basin is situated between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range, while the lower half stretches between the Pir Panjal and the Dhaula Dhar/Shivalik ranges—a topography that naturally supports high-volume water flow with strong velocity.
Strategic implications amid Indus Waters Treaty freeze
The decision to fast-track the Sawalkote project has added to Pakistan’s diplomatic discomfort, especially after India’s historic move to suspend the IWT in April 2025, citing continuous cross-border terror and violation of trust. The Treaty, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, had given Pakistan exclusive rights over the waters of the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab but allowed India limited non-consumptive use for hydropower projects.
Now, India’s assertive approach signals a paradigm shift in water strategy, treating water resources not merely as a subject of bilateral agreement but as a sovereign strategic asset.
India’s Hydro push: Beyond Sawalkote
The Sawalkote project is not an isolated case. India has been ramping up several hydroelectric initiatives on western rivers in recent years, including Ratle, Kiru, Kwar, and Pakal Dul, all on the Chenab or its tributaries. The Sawalkote plant, once completed, will become Jammu & Kashmir’s largest hydroelectric project, surpassing even Baglihar in capacity.
With the Chenab flowing from Himachal into Jammu and Kashmir, and eventually into Pakistan, India’s use of its upstream potential aligns with both economic and national security objectives, especially after years of restraint under the Indus regime.
As tendering begins and construction looms, Sawalkote stands not just as a symbol of technological achievement, but also as a firm geopolitical signal. In the context of changing regional equations and energy self-reliance, the Sawalkote Hydro Project could very well be the pivot of a new water doctrine for India.
It remains to be seen how Pakistan will respond diplomatically, but for India, the message is clear: “No more business as usual on water sharing.”
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