India Diverts Indus River Water and Fast-Tracks Chenab Power Projects

The Government of India is implementing a strategic redirection of the Indus River's water to serve domestic needs in Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Delhi. Union Jal Shakti Minister C. R. Patil announced in Jaipur that a Detailed Project Report has been prepared to facilitate this diversion, which follows India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty in April 2025 after a terror attack in Pahalgam killed 26 people. In a related move, India has rejected the jurisdiction of the Court of Arbitration at The Hague regarding hydropower projects in Jammu and Kashmir.

As part of this broader strategy, the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) has invited bids for the Rs 5,129 crore Sawalkote Hydroelectric Project on the Chenab river. This 1,856 MW venture is the first new project approved since the treaty suspension. India is also fast-tracking the Pakal Dul and Kiru projects, expected by December 2026, and the Kwar and Ratle dams, due in 2028. These developments have raised concerns in Pakistan, as the Chenab is vital for its agriculture.

Domestically, Minister Patil stated that Rajasthan will no longer face water shortages. This is supported by a historic memorandum of understanding to provide the state with surplus Yamuna water and the revised PKC-ERCP project, with an estimated investment between Rs 77,000 crore and Rs 1 lakh crore.