Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has asserted that no objections raised by Pakistan will be entertained vis-à-vis ongoing works on various hydropower projects on the Chenab, Jhelum or Indus rivers in J&K. He was speaking to reporters at Reasi district headquarters where Salal dam is located and which he inspected as part of his two-day tour to various power projects in Ramban, Reasi and Kishtwar districts.
On visiting the Salal power project, Khattar instructed the engineers to take necessary steps to optimise the operations of this project, which had suffered when its sluice gates were plugged in April 1978 after Pakistan’s objections. This had led to its generating capacity getting adversely impacted, as it led to substantial sediment accumulation in its reservoir. Steps are now underway to clear sediments from Salal after the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) was put in abeyance by India on April 23, 2025. Khattar also conducted an aerial survey of the Sawalkot project, which is a mega project of 1,856 MW to be set up between the Baglihar and Salal projects.
Khattar said, “No objections whatever from Pakistan will be entertained.” Replying to a question about these projects getting fast-tracked after ‘Operation Sindoor,’ and what message he would like to give Pakistan, Khattar said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a clear message to Pakistan by keeping the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance. No objection of Pakistan will be entertained. Water of Chenab and Indus will be used for the benefit of our own people.”
Replying to another question, he said strict vigilance should be maintained so that no person with an unlawful background is engaged in the ongoing hydel power projects in Kishtwar. Asked if the government will act against the family members of some terrorists working in these projects or the ones who have bagged contracts, Khattar said, “Employment will be provided only to verified and law-abiding workers. Good people should get work. Those with unlawful backgrounds will not be engaged. Any information regarding workers will be verified through institutions. No adverse inputs have been received so far.”
Retrenchment Controversy
Some weeks ago, a controversy had started at the Ratle hydropower project in Kishtwar after some reports in local newspapers alleged that the local BJP MLA Shagun Parihar was interfering in the ongoing works of the Ratle project. Responding to these reports, Shagun Parihar went public, saying that at least 230 people had been retrenched by senior manager Harpal Singh by fudging documents. She said that most of these retrenched people were dam-affected people who had lost their land due to the construction of the dam and had the first right to be adjusted in construction works.
Harpal Singh is one of the seniormost managers hired by Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Limited (MEIL), which is involved in construction works as a contractor for NHPC. The local villagers have, time and again, alleged that he is a dubious character who gives preference to non-locals over the locals affected by dam works and has hired people having links with terrorists. Some reports had said that SSP Kishtwar had pointed out that many people, particularly from Kashmir, with a suspect background and having links with terrorists, were involved in the construction works.
With Khattar’s visit, the issue is likely to escalate further but also lead to resolution, as NHPC Chairman and Managing Director, besides Union Power Secretary and other senior officers, have been apprised of it. On demands for probes into certain complaints, the Union Minister said routine issues would be addressed at the local level, while any serious matter would be examined as per established procedure.
Ratle Concrete Dam
Khattar said, “Today I have come to Jammu and Kashmir to see various hydropower projects. I visited the Salal Project and also conducted an aerial survey of the site of Sawalkot. Several NHPC projects are now underway and work on them is going on uninterrupted. There were many challenges in this. By completing these on time, NHPC will make a significant contribution to the country’s power generation capacity.”
After visiting Salal and inspecting the Sawalakote project site aerially, Mr Khattar flew in a helicopter to Drabshalla, the site of the 850 MW Ratle power project, where he inaugurated the concrete dam structure construction. He said construction and filling works have commenced, while excavation, described as a risky and technically challenging phase, has also been taken up.
During his visit to the Ratle site, Khattar inspected ongoing construction works and held detailed discussions with project authorities regarding timelines, technical aspects and future planning. He was accompanied by senior officers of the Kishtwar district administration. The Ratle Hydropower Project is one of the most important power projects in the region and is expected to significantly enhance power generation capacity while contributing to economic development and employment opportunities in the area. The project, when completed, will contribute significantly as 12 per cent of the generated power will be made available to J&K free of cost. This alone comes to 102 MW and is expected to improve the availability and bring down the power bill of the UT of J&K.
The Ratle Hydropower Project, being developed on the Chenab River, is one of the most important power projects in the region. Once completed, it is expected to significantly enhance power generation capacity, strengthen energy security and contribute to the overall socio-economic development by creating employment opportunities and boosting local infrastructure. It needs to be mentioned here that the Ratle project was inaugurated by the late Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on May 29, 2013, first. However, the construction work was abandoned by the private company, which was carrying out the work, due to Pakistan raising major objections to its design, etc. However, the Modi government revived it years later and has removed bottlenecks.
Hindu Sammelan
Earlier in the day, BJP MLA from Reasi Kuldeep Raj Dubey warmly welcomed Khattar on his arrival at Reasi for his visit to the Salal project at the NHPC Headquarters in Jyotipuram. Dubey said: “The meeting witnessed a comprehensive and forward-looking deliberation on major upcoming power and infrastructure projects and other strategic proposals of immense significance for the Reasi constituency. The discussions focused on strengthening the power sector, accelerating development initiatives, and harnessing the region’s vast hydropower potential to ensure sustainable growth, employment generation, and improved public welfare.” He apprised Khattar of key local priorities and developmental aspirations, emphasising the need for the timely execution of projects and enhanced coordination to translate policy vision into tangible outcomes on the ground.
He expressed gratitude for the Modi government’s continued support and commitment towards the holistic development of J&K. The interaction reaffirmed a shared resolve to work collaboratively for inclusive, resilient, and future-ready development, with Reasi poised to emerge as a pivotal hub in the power and infrastructure landscape of the region. Khattar also participated in a Hindu Sammelan organised at a local Shiva temple and addressed huge crowds gathered there. The Minister was accompanied by senior officers of the district administration, engineers, and officials from the project executing agencies, who briefed him on various components of the project and the current pace of work.
Power Potential
On Sunday, during his visits to different project sites and in his interactions with people, Khattar reiterated time and again the Centre’s commitment to harnessing hydropower potential in the UT. He assured full support for the successful execution of strategic power projects like Ratle and Sawalakote, besides some other projects. Ex Sarpanch & Union Leader Sanjay Parihar & Vinod Parihar submitted a memorandum to Khattar about the retrenchment of 230 local workers.
Of the three Western Rivers (Chenab, Jhelum and Indus), the hydropower generation of Chenab is maximum and estimated at around 15,000 MW. A network, or cascade of several hydropower projects, has been planned at different sites on the river. However, Pakistan’s repeated objections on every single project over the years under various IWT provisions led to a sense of uncertainty and created problems of execution, leading to unnecessary delays. However, with IWT put in abeyance, the biggest hurdle in harnessing the power potential has been removed, and the fast-tracking of various projects subsequently is a very positive outcome of that decision.
NHPC Working
During the past few days, CMD of NHPC Bhupender Gupta has been in J&K and visited various projects in view of the impending ministerial visit. He also visited the 390 MW Dul Hasti power station in Kishtwar district. During the visit, Suresh Kumar, Head of the Dul Hasti Power Station, briefed him on the ongoing operations and maintenance activities, as well as the preparedness for annual maintenance works. CMD, NHPC also chaired a meeting with all functional heads at the Power House, where he reviewed these things in a detailed manner.
He interacted with the operation and maintenance staff, appreciated their dedication in working under challenging conditions and encouraged them to continue their commitment to the smooth functioning of Dul Hasti Power Station. He further visited the Dul Dam and reviewed the issues related to dam safety and maintenance. The visit to Dul Hasti is significant as the clearance for constructing Dul Hasti II project of 260 MW capacity has been received from the Union Environment Ministry has been received. This is a project which will soon see the light of day as necessary works are taken up.
