NEW DELHI: The Environmental Appraisal Committee (EAC) under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has approved the Dulhasti Stage-II hydroelectric project (260 MW) in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, valued at Rs 3,277.45 crore.

This project will utilise water from the Chenab River, part of the Indus Water Basin. The EAC noted that the project’s parameters have been planned in compliance with the provisions of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) of 1960.

However, the treaty has been suspended effective April 23, 2025, following the Pahalgam terrorist attack. It is an extension of the existing 390 MW Dulhasti Stage-I Hydro Electric Project (Dulhasti Power Station), which has been successfully operating since its commissioning in 2007 by NHPC Ltd.

The new project will draw water from the Dulhasti Power Station (Stage I) through a separate 3,685-meter-long tunnel with a diameter of 8.5 meters, leading to the construction of a horseshoe pondage for Stage II.

In addition to constructing the pondage, the project will include a surge shaft, a pressure shaft, and an underground powerhouse equipped with two units of 130 MW each, resulting in a total installed capacity of 260 MW and an annual energy generation.

The total land requirement for the project is estimated at 60.3 hectares. This project will require 8.27 hectares of private land from two villages, Benzwar and Palmar, in Kishtwar district.