Overview
- The Environment Ministry’s Expert Appraisal Committee approved the Dulhasti Stage‑II project in Kishtwar, a 260 MW extension of the existing 390 MW scheme that will reuse Stage‑I infrastructure at an estimated cost of about Rs 3,200 crore.
- The panel recorded that project parameters were planned in line with the Indus Waters Treaty even as it noted the treaty has stood suspended since April 23, 2025.
- State-owned NHPC is reported as the developer, with tendering steps expected next and reports indicating construction could start early next year.
- Pakistan’s leaders, including Senator Sherry Rehman, condemned the approval as a treaty breach and “weaponisation of water,” while Islamabad sent letters to UN officials warning of risks to agriculture and a potential humanitarian crisis.
- The clearance follows a broader Indian push on western Indus tributaries, including prior approval of the 1,856 MW Sawalkot project and moves to advance Ratle, Bursar, Pakal Dul, Kwar, Kiru, and Kirthai I and II.