India Indus Water, which was signed in 1960 by means of mediation of the World Bank for sharing river waters between India and Pakistan, was suspended after the killing of 26 people in Kashmir Pahalgam on 22 April.
The contract limited the Indian storage capacity on these rivers to 3.6 MAF (million acres). With the now suspended contract, India can build water energy dams and flood control tanks. It is estimated that the average annual drainage of Indus, Jhelum and Chenab is 136 MAF, of which 40% (approximately 54 MAF) come from the Indian basin.
State NHPC will speed up the commissioning of Sawalkot (1,856 MW), Pakal DUL (1,000 MW), Ratle (850 MW) Bursar (800 MW), Kiru (624 MW), Kirthai 1 and 2 (1,320 MW).
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“Several projects started a few years ago, but did not gain pace or were detained,” one of the people said. “Now work on these projects will gain strength. The ratle is under construction and Sawalkot is one of the key projects that would see progress.”
“Currently, the matter is in the discussion phase and we are working on modalities,” said Jal Shakti, irrigation and flood control in the state government on the condition of anonymity.
A detailed report of the project for the Sawalkot project on the Chenab River is completed, but the work has to start and the construction of the RATLE project (on Chenab) is underway, which would require approximately two years to put into operation.
Similarly, the project (DPR) for Kirthai 2 is on Chenab in works, while Kirthai 1 must still be done. The Kiru Hydro Electric project on the Chenab River is in advanced stages of completion and is expected to take a year to mention the second person above.
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A project that is basically object to Pakistan until you go to salt, Uri-II, Balibaar, Palestang, Palangga, Palangga, Palest and Kirus.
Questions sent to the Ministry of Energy Union, the Ministry of Jal Shakti and NHPC remained unanswered until the press.
“With the current infrastructure what India can do immediately, it is not to share data in terms of water flow to Pakistan and hold for some time or even turn on the flow of water without informing Pakistan,” said Abhay Kumar Singh, former chairman and CEO of NHPC Ltd.
It is expected that the transition to the suspension of the contract will hit hard by the Eastern neighbor, estimating 80% of his agriculture, depending on the water from Indus, Jhelum and Chenab.
Certainly, building such projects in the harsh terrain J&K has its own set of calls from Indus Water. A former member of the Central Electricity Office (CEA) stated on condition of anonymity that the surprise induced by terrain and topography tends to sometimes brake projects.
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“Since the mountains are largely young, there are chances of landslides or landslides if the tunnels are built,” this person said. “However, if the correct investigation is carried out and takes care of shear zones and fractures (which are more vulnerable), projects can be successful.”
Communication with Pakistan
Even before the Indus Water contract was suspended, India has written twice in Pakistan in Pakistan in the last two years and sought to change the contract.
After the decision was taken to suspend the contract, Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary of the Union Jal Shakti, Syed Ali Murtaza reported about her Pakistani counterpart. In a letter of 24 April mi
The letter noted that previous roads quoted basic changes in the circumstances that took place since the conclusion of a contract that requires a re -evaluation of obligations under the contract. “These changes include a significantly changed demography of the population, the need to speed up the development of clean energy and other changes in the assumptions on which water sharing is based on a contract,” the letter said.
Hydro projects
India identified the potential hydro -energy capacity of 18 217 MW or 18.21 GW for Indus, Jhelum and Chenab, of which it has the potential for 14GW.
Operating projects in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), which fall within the scope of the contract, include Kishanganga, Uri I and II, Dulhasti, Baglihar and Sewa projects with cumulative capacity of more than 3.3 GW. Detailed reports on projects or preliminary feasibility reports were prepared for another 12.25 GW of hydro projects on these rivers, another 2.56 GW in construction.
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“With the Indus Water contract, India could now hire projects planned for a long time, but Pakistan protested against it,” said former NHPC Singh chairman, while further pointed out that there was no major storage capacity.
Storage problem
Although there is currently no operational capacity for storage, the POKAL DUL project on the Marusudar River, the tributary of Chenab, which is under construction, has a planned storage capacity of 0.09 MAF. Then the cumulative capacity of 2.23 MAF for POKAL DUL, Bursar, Wardwan Bursar, Gyspa and Ratle was identified.
Singh added that it is now possible to create storage capacities that would add both to the capabilities of water and to alleviate floods.
Singh also stated that the capacity of the Salala project, which has declined significantly due to the ban on discharge through crushing under the contract, can now also be revived because the crush of mud can be carried out without putting Pakistan.
He also stated that planning new large tanks would require new DPR for planned projects that are mostly running projects, which has been added to the process for several years.
Slow progress
Meanwhile, in Parliament in March 2023, a reporter and general auditor reported a report, which was submitted to the slow progress of the water -energy project in J&K. He noted that the lack of easy business for independent energy manufacturer (IPP) should be solved and the state policy Hydro Power 2011 must be revised.
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She also stated that the state government and the government agencies concerned must ensure feasible identification of locations, rapid completion of DPR, holding IPP in land obtaining and legal permits, as well as withdrawal of finances and help IPP to accept projects.
“As regards EPC projects developed by JKPDC (Jammu & Kashmir Power Development Corporation), completion of projects can be ensured in addition to the installation of the energy evacuation system before commissioning projects,” he said.
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