In a major decision following the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has given environmental clearance to the long-pending Sawalkot Hydropower Project on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir. An official said, ‘The 40th meeting of the Expert Environment Assessment Committee (EAC) for river valley and hydropower projects was held on September 26 and the final approval was given on Thursday (October 09, 2025).’

Officials said that the Centre’s Environment Committee held extensive discussions before giving the approval. “The EAC has recommended environmental clearance without the need for new cumulative impact or carrying capacity studies, assessments that are typically mandated to evaluate the combined impacts of multiple projects within a river basin,” an official said.

Project designed as 1856 MW Hydropower Station

This relaxation is expected to speed up the implementation of the project. The approval comes at a time when India has suspended the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) following the Pahalgam terrorist attack in April 2025 and has renewed focus on harnessing the hydropower potential of Chenab.

According to official reports, the project, operated by NHPC, is designed as an 1856 MW hydropower station consisting of a 192.5 meter high concrete gravity dam and a reservoir spread over an area of ​​more than 1100 hectares. After completion, Sawalkot will be one of the largest hydropower projects located on the western rivers of the Indus system.

Approval processes may be affected

In June, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had described the project as being of ‘strategic importance’ and had urged the Environment Ministry to grant it expeditious approval. The power ministry had also warned that the new basin-wide studies could have an impact on the approval processes already initiated.

The Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) had already given the relaxation in July, saying that the guidelines for cumulative studies were issued in 2013, while the Sawalkot project was first started in 1984 and the rules cannot be applied retrospectively.

So many trees will be cut to build the dam

Under this project, 847.17 hectares of forest land in Udhampur, Ramban, Reasi and Mahour districts will be used and more than 2.22 lakh trees will have to be cut, of which more than 1.26 lakh will be in Ramban alone. This dam will be built in two phases, which will generate 1406 MW and 450 MW electricity.

Environmentalists in Jammu and Kashmir have expressed concern over the ecological impact of this project. In a report submitted to the State Pollution Control Board in 2016, they argued that classifying Sawalkot as a run-of-the-mill project is misleading, as its huge reservoir would alter the natural river flow and submerge vast tracts of land.

These livelihoods will be affected by the construction of the dam.

He also said that there are already many big dams on Chenab river including Dulhasti, Baglihar and Salal. NHPC said it has updated the baseline environmental data to meet current needs and collected new primary data during the monsoon 2022, winter 2023 and pre-monsoon 2023 seasons.

The company said the updated data addresses concerns that the original 2016 environmental studies were out of date. Experts have warned that large dams like Sawalkot could affect downstream river flows, fish migration and sediment transport, destabilizing agricultural lands along the river channel and flood plains.

Project delayed due to centre-state disputes

Large reservoirs in the steep valleys of the Himalayas can also increase slope instability and landslide risk. As per the Environment Ministry’s own guidelines, projects that do not get in-principle forest clearance within 18 months will have to update their baseline studies.

Sawalkot has been facing delays for decades due to Centre-state disputes and objections under the Indus Water Treaty. Pakistan had earlier sought information about the project, but India refused, saying that as per the treaty, information was required six months before the start of construction.

Promise of electricity and employment to the people

Now with the treaty suspended, the government has included Sawalkot among its strategic core priorities. Tenders have already been issued for several components, making the project a test case for striking a balance between national security and environmental protection.

For communities living along the Chenab River, the project promises electricity and jobs, but also threatens the loss of forests, land and riverine habitats that have shaped local life for generations.

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A spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry has made it clear that the construction of the hydropower project in the low -lying areas of the Yarlung Jangbo River (the original enterprise of the Brahmaputra River) is completely under the sovereignty of China. China says that this project is being done with the aim of accelerating clean energy development, improving the standard of living of local people and actively dealing with climate change.

Clean energy and local development will be promoted
China said that this project will not only strengthen the capabilities of the country in the field of clean energy, but through it will also improve the standard of living of people living in the surrounding areas. This will create new employment opportunities and the regional economy will get new energy.

The top priority given to environmental protection
According to China, the plan, design and construction of this project have all been done under the highest national industrial standards. In this, security has been given special importance in every way of nature and environment. The project is kept away from environmentally sensitive areas and ensures that the original ecosystem is preserved.

Helpful in disaster management and protection of river system
China claims that after the completion of this project, the entire flow area of the Yarlung Jangbo River will help in prevention and mitigation of disasters. Due to this, the safety of the river system will be ensured and no bad effects will be on the areas below.

Commitment to cross -border cooperation and data sharing
China has said that it works with great responsibility in the management of the border rivers and has a widespread experience of operating hydroelectric projects. The spokesperson said that China is collaborating in the field of sharing hydrological data, flood control and disaster lowering with countries, downstream (bottom) countries. Necessary dialogues about this project have already been done with these countries and this cooperation will be further strengthened in future, so that all the people of the river valley can get collective benefits.

India-pakistan tension: India has taken another action against Pakistan after suspending the Indus Water Agreement. Now India has stopped the water of Chenab river through Bagalihar Dam. Similarly, the Jhelum is planning to take tough steps about the Kishanganga dam on the river. A source said that the Bagihar Hydroelectric Dam in Ramban, Jammu and the Kishanganga Hydroelectric Dam in North Kashmir have the ability to regulate the time of release of water.

India decided to suspend the decades-old treaty after the terrorist attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir. 26 people were killed in this attack, mostly tourists. The Indus Water Treaty, which was conducted by the World Bank’s mediation, has controlled the use of the Indus River and its tributaries between India and Pakistan since 1960.

Controversy over Baggihar Dam

The Bagihar Dam has been a matter of long dispute between the two neighbors. Pakistan has demanded the World Bank’s mediation in this matter. Pakistan also has objections due to its influence on Neelam, a tributary of Jhelum, especially about the Kishanganga dam.

History of Indus Water Agreement

The Indus Water Agreement, signed by Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru and President of Pakistan Ayub Khan in 1960. It was a historical agreement made in the World Bank’s mediation. Its aim was to avoid the future conflict between India and Pakistan over water resources. Under this treaty, India got the right to Ravi, Sutlej, Beas. The control of Indus, Chenab, Jhelum was assigned to Pakistan. However, India got limited irrigation, power generation and domestic use exemption.

Pakistan’s lifeline Indus?

The mainstay of Pakistan’s water-based economy is the Indus river system. With its help, Pakistan uses 93% of Western rivers water. 80% agricultural land depends on this water. The livelihood of millions of people, water supply network of cities and hydro power production rests on this system. So when India indicated the postponement of the Indus Water Agreement, there was a panic and resentment in Pakistan’s political and military leadership.