Sawalkote Hydroelectric Project

planned

The Sawalkote Hydroelectric Project is a 1,856 MW run-of-river hydropower project on the Chenab river near Sidhu village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district. Originally conceived in 1984 and designated as nationally significant, the project had been stalled for decades due to Pakistani objections under the Indus Waters Treaty, as well as local administrative, environmental, and compensation hurdles. The project was revived in 2021 through a memorandum of understanding with NHPC to develop it under a build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) model. The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) has begun the international competitive bidding process for the planning, design, and engineering of the project, with a bid submission deadline of 10 September 2025. Key issues including compensation for affected villages, relocation of an Army transit camp, and forest land clearances have been resolved, and the Forest Advisory Committee granted in-principle approval for the diversion of forest land.