J&K’s Power Play: Unlocking 15,000 MW as the Indus Treaty Shifts

India has stepped up efforts to advance long-pending hydropower projects in Jammu and Kashmir, pointing to renewed momentum following the abeyance of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).

According to a recent response tabled in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, the Union Territory has an estimated hydropower potential of around 18,000 MW, with nearly 15,000 MW already identified. However, only about 3,540 MW—roughly 24% of this capacity—has been developed to date.

The government highlighted that construction activity across ongoing projects has accelerated in recent months, attributing the progress to the current status of the treaty. It also emphasized a more proactive strategy going forward to unlock and fully utilize the region’s substantial hydropower resources.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.