India has approved the controversial 260-megawatt Dulhasti Stage-II hydropower project on the Chenab River in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, a move that is expected to deepen water-related tensions with Pakistan and intensify concerns over the future of the Indus Waters Treaty.
The project, estimated to cost Rs 3,277.45 crore, was cleared by India’s Environmental Appraisal Committee under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. It includes a large diversion tunnel stretching 3,685 meters, a horseshoe-shaped pondage system, surge and pressure shafts, and an underground powerhouse with two 130 MW generating units.
According to project details, water from the existing Dulhasti Stage-I power station will be diverted through a separate tunnel measuring 8.5 meters in diameter. The project will also require more than 60 hectares of land, including private land from villages in the region.
The approval comes at a sensitive time when the Indus Waters Treaty remains under strain, with Pakistan repeatedly expressing concerns over India’s growing number of upstream hydropower projects on western rivers allocated to Pakistan under the treaty framework.
Experts warn that the expanding network of dams, tunnels, and water-regulating infrastructure on the Chenab River could increase India’s control over downstream water flows, affecting irrigation systems, agricultural planning, and food security in Pakistan.
Concerns have also grown over the lack of hydrological data sharing and limited technical transparency surrounding these projects. Analysts believe the latest development could further weaken trust between the two countries and undermine cooperative water management mechanisms in South Asia.
The project has once again placed regional water security at the center of Pakistan-India tensions, particularly as climate change and growing water scarcity continue to threaten millions dependent on the Indus Basin system.
