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Sawalkote Hydropower Project is being fast-tracked as a key strategic and energy project following the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) after the Pahalgam terror attack.
 
Key details about the Sawalkote Hydropower Project:

• A major hydroelectric project proposed on the Chenab River in the Ramban and Udhampur districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
• Capacity: 1,856 MW, expected to generate over 7,000 million units of electricity annually.
• Structure: A 192.5-meter high concrete gravity dam with a reservoir capacity of about 530 million cubic meters.
• Development Phases: The capacity is planned in two stages - 1,406 MW in Stage I and 450 MW in Stage II.
• Forest and Land Impact: Requires diversion of 846 hectares of forest land and felling of over 222,000 trees, primarily in Ramban.
• Cost: Estimated investment around ₹22,704 crore.
• Strategic Context: Post Indus Waters Treaty suspension, the project is a key step towards India asserting control over utilization of western rivers previously restricted by the treaty.
• Timeline: Tenders have been floated for construction components, signaling imminent execution with a completion timeline that could span a decade from initiation.

The project faces ecological concerns due to large reservoir size, forest clearance, and cumulative hydrological impact on the Chenab basin, already hosting other hydro projects like Dulhasti, Baglihar, and Salal.

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