Govt speeds up irrigation and power projects in Indus river basin

The government has identified irrigation and power generation as key developmental priorities in the Indus river basin, covering the western rivers—Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab—in Jammu and Kashmir and nearby states. This move aims to speed up utilisation of additional water resources in a time-bound manner, a TOI report stated.

The decision came during an inter-ministerial meeting held on Tuesday, involving officials from the home ministry, external affairs, power, and Jal Shakti ministries. This was the first such meeting since India put the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty on hold following the Pahalgam attack.

A government source said, "It was decided to fast-track the implementation of pending projects—be it irrigation canals, navigation projects or under-construction power projects—through priority funding in the medium and long-term."


Since the treaty is currently suspended, India no longer has to share water flow data or project details with Pakistan. This has allowed India to carry out flushing operations to clear sediment from reservoirs of existing hydro-power projects without informing Pakistan. Recently, India completed flushing and desilting work in two run-of-the-river hydro-power projects—Baglihar and Salal—on the Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir to increase water storage capacity.

The source added, "Power ministry representatives have been asked to speed up works on four under-construction hydro-power projects and work on getting clearances for another three by holding consultations with experts."

Out of an estimated hydro-power potential of about 20,000 MW on the western rivers, only around 4,000 MW of capacity has been built so far in India. The government’s renewed focus seeks to harness more of this untapped power potential.