Banihal, Nov 23: The ambitious 1,856 MW Sawalkote hydro-electric project, spread across the districts of Ramban, Reasi and Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir, continues to remain trapped in administrative delays, further dampening public hopes.
The situation worsened after the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) cancelled the consultancy tender issued in July this year, just days after its announcement.
Informed official sources have revealed that although preparatory work such as land acquisition, allocation of funds and inter-departmental clearances is being carried out in phases, progress on the ground remains extremely slow.
NHPC officials have also reportedly expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of consistent support and coordination from the present JK UT government.
With an estimated cost of Rs 31,380 Cr, the Sawalkote project is designed to generate 1856 megawatts of electricity. The dam will be constructed on the Chenab river in Ramban district, the water diversion tunnel will be located in Reasi district, while the underground powerhouse will be built in Udhampur.
Once completed, it will become the largest hydropower project in Jammu and Kashmir and the third largest in India.
Planned nearly six decades ago, the Sawalkote project has seen repeated changes in responsibility.
Over the last seven to eight years, the Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Corporation (JKPDC) had completed several preliminary works, including the construction of a 1.5 km access tunnel and a bridge over the Chenab river. However, in 2021, the project was formally transferred to NHPC.
In January 2021, NHPC and the Jammu and Kashmir administration signed a 40-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under which NHPC would construct, operate and later hand back the project to JKPDC after the completion of the concession period. Despite this, no major physical construction has begun so far.
While some preliminary forest and environmental clearances have been secured, major approvals and the acquisition of hundreds of hectares of land are still pending.
After the Pahalgam incident in April and the subsequent suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty by the central government, expectations had risen that work on the project would gain momentum.
These hopes were strengthened when NHPC floated a global consultancy tender in July 2025 for planning, design and engineering works. However, these hopes were short-lived as the tender was cancelled on August 11, 2025, citing administrative reasons.
The tender announcement had created a wave of optimism among local people, especially unemployed youth, who were expecting job opportunities and economic activity in the region. The sudden cancellation has once again pushed these aspirations into uncertainty.
Talking to Greater Kashmir, the residents of Ramban district expressed strong disappointment over the prolonged delay. They stated that although the project received approvals years ago, there is no visible seriousness in its implementation.
People also pointed out that the project would submerge more than a dozen villages and large forest areas, directly affecting over 1,500 families, and demanded that authorities should resolve all hurdles swiftly and begin work at the earliest.
Senior Manager NHPC (Environment) Veera Prasad confirmed that construction had not yet begun at any of the project sites due to pending approvals. He said that environmental and forest clearances involved a complex and lengthy process, and efforts were currently underway to obtain the remaining permissions.
He further added that the Sawalkote project budget would be finalized only after receiving approval from the Government of India’s Public Investment Board, followed by clearance from the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).
Expressing optimism, he said, “NHPC plans to re-issue consultancy tenders once all statutory formalities are completed.”
Veera Prasad said, “The NHPC has prepared a comprehensive environmental management plan for the project, which includes afforestation, catchment area treatment, dam safety measures, wildlife protection and long-term environmental monitoring to ensure ecological balance.”
