About Sawalkote Hydroelectric Project:
- It is a 1,856-MW hydropower plant on the Chenab River in the Udhampur and Ramban districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
- It has been designed as a run-of-the-river scheme located between the Baglihar project upstream and the Salal project downstream, making it part of a continuous chain of hydropower installations on the Chenab.
- It will be the largest hydroelectric project in the Union Territory and one of the biggest in North India.
- It is being built by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC).
- It will comprise nine turbines and an underground power station.
- It will produce around 8000 million units of electricity every year.
- By regulating the flow of the Chenab River, the Sawalkote project could contribute to flood mitigation downstream, while also ensuring better water management for agriculture and domestic use.
- It is a key part of India’s plan to fully utilise its share of water from the western rivers under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).
- It is the first major hydropower project on the Indus river to be accorded environmental clearance following India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in 2025, following the Pahalgam terror attack.
