India must take full advantage of Indus Waters Treaty suspension, says Khattar

Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday said that India must take full advantage of the current suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). The treaty was put in abeyance following a decision by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on April 23, a day after the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives.

Khattar, who was in Srinagar to review the power and urban development sectors in Jammu and Kashmir, told reporters, “With the Indus Waters Treaty kept in abeyance, we must seize the opportunity. We will enhance the capacity of ongoing hydropower projects and are also exploring possibilities for new ones.”

He highlighted the enormous potential for hydropower generation in J&K, particularly on the Jhelum, Chenab, and Sindh rivers. “Upcoming projects are progressing well. NHPC and other agencies are working together to advance this sector,” he said.

Khattar praised the UT’s achievements in power reforms, particularly in smart metering. “J&K is ahead of other states in the implementation of smart meters and prepaid smart meters. It ranks first in the country in this regard,” he noted.

The minister added that both the power and housing departments in the UT are functioning satisfactorily. He urged the UT administration to expedite work under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), especially the rollout of prepaid smart meters—starting with government establishments, followed by commercial and industrial consumers.

He further advised that all government offices and colonies should be equipped with prepaid meters by August 2025. He also stressed the need for timely clearance of pending electricity dues from government departments.

Khattar emphasised that J&K’s vast hydropower potential should be fully tapped and called for close coordination with the Centre for skill development and capacity building of the local workforce. He urged the UT administration to resolve outstanding issues in NHPC projects to ensure their early completion.

He also appealed to the UT to consider waiving the water cess imposed on hydroelectric projects, stating that doing so would help lower power generation costs and reduce tariffs for consumers.

Later, during a press conference marking 11 years of the BJP-led Central government, Khattar revealed that India had successfully thwarted nearly two lakh cyberattacks on its power infrastructure during “Operation Sindoor.”

“With technological advancement, new threats such as cyberattacks have emerged. The frequency of such attacks has increased, but the government has acted swiftly, and our cybersecurity measures have neutralized nearly all threats,” he said.

In talks with Centre on resumption of projects: CM

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said discussions are being held with the Centre on the resumption of development projects in the Union territory that were halted due to the Indus Waters Treaty.

With the treaty in abeyance in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, Abdullah said there are two projects — one in Kashmir and the other in Jammu — on which work can begin soon.

“After the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty, we have two projects on which work can start soon, one is in Kashmir and the other is in Jammu. Now, talks are going on with the central government regarding both the projects,” Abdullah said here when asked whether the government will take advantage of the IWT being in abeyance.

Last month, Abdullah batted for the revival of the Tulbul navigation project on Wular Lake in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district.