NEW DELHI: The Union Government has approved the establishment of an electricity transmission line for the upcoming 1,000 MW (one gigawatt) Pakal Dul hydropower project on the Marusudar river -- a tributary of the Chenab River -- in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir.
This comes after India put the 65-year-old Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance in response to the 22 April Pahalgam terror attack carried out by a Pakistan-backed terrorist outfit.
The government's decision to approve the setup of the electricity transmission system in just 40 days is seen as a strategic move to harness more water from the Indus River Basin in the future.
Experts point out that such approvals typically take months or even years, indicating the government's urgency to expedite the process of utilising more water from the Indus River Basin.
The Pakal Dul project will be the largest on any of the rivers in the Indus Basin, featuring a significantly larger storage system to generate more electricity. It is expected to be commissioned by September 2026. The transmission lines will traverse 21 villages in the Kishtwar district.
The approval notification was issued on 5 May, just days before 'Operation Sindoor', a military action targeting terrorist infrastructure across nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
According to the notification, after careful consideration, the Ministry of Power granted approval under Section 68(1) of the Electricity Act, 2003, for the overhead line covered under the transmission scheme.
The notification states: “Transmission system for providing connectivity to M/s Chenab Valley Power Projects Limited (CVPPL) for its 1000 MW Pakal Dul Hydro Electric Project in Jammu & Kashmir.”
The transmission lines will pass through the following villages: Kowar, Tamruche, Dul (Dool), Dasi, Kwartanji, Banzwar, Kaildan, Hullar, Berwar, Puhi, Puhiper, Lachkhazana, Lachdayaram, Puchal, Matta, Semna, Kishtwar, Shalamar, Gach Kundan, Lachil, and Trigam.
Meanwhile, CVPPL, a subsidiary of NHPCL Ltd., must obtain consent from local bodies, Railways, National Highways, and State Highways before erecting the proposed line.
Furthermore, CVPPL needs to submit the necessary clearances to the Central Electricity Authority after obtaining the relevant approvals from authorities such as Civil Aviation and Defence during the Electrical Inspection process.
