Govt sets aside green rules for Indus hydel projects, cites data leak to Pak

Citing national interests and strategic importance, the Environment Ministry has exempted hydroelectric projects on the Indus river basin from comprehensive environmental studies. The ministry clarified that a cumulative impact assessment (CIA) and carrying capacity study (CCS) for the Indus, Chenab and Jhelum river basins in Jammu & Kashmir would be “administratively impractical and scientifically unviable” as a significant portion of these basins lies outside India.

While granting in-principle approval to the 1865 MW Sawalkot hydroelectric project, which requires 847.17 hectares of forest land, the forest advisory committee cited an observation of the Ministry of Home Affairs, which identified the project as strategically important and warned that conducting broad basin studies could risk the exposure of sensitive hydrological data. It expressed concern that such information could be exploited by downstream neighbouring countries, particularly with the Indus Water Treaty currently suspended.

The Sawalkot hydro project is aimed at optimising India’s use of the Indus waters while the treaty with Pakistan remains suspended.

The Ministry of Power had requested an exemption from these studies for the project, arguing that in the current geopolitical scenario, conducting them could delay important hydel projects in Jammu & Kashmir and compromise national interests by potentially leaking critical data.

While the broader basin studies are being dispensed with, the ministry confirmed that project-specific Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) will still be conducted. These EIAs will cover key components of the CIA and CCS, including ecological flow, affected river length, free flow stretches, cascade development and the presence of ecologically sensitive areas.