India has accelerated hydropower development on the Chenab River by launching ₹2,600 crore worth projects following the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty framework with Pakistan. The move reflects a strategic shift in water resource utilisation and clean energy expansion in Jammu and Kashmir.

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• India has fast-tracked Chenab hydropower projects worth approximately ₹2,600 crore after placing the Indus Waters Treaty framework with Pakistan in abeyance for policy reassessment.
• The projects aim to enhance utilisation of western river waters allocated under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty for India’s long-term energy security needs.
• Execution of these hydropower projects has been assigned to NHPC Limited for implementation across the Chenab river basin in Jammu and Kashmir.
• The initiative is part of a broader government strategy to expand renewable energy capacity through large-scale hydroelectric infrastructure development in northern India.
• The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, governs the distribution of Indus river system waters between India and Pakistan.
• The Chenab basin holds significant strategic importance due to multiple operational and planned hydropower projects contributing to regional electricity generation.
• The projects are expected to strengthen clean energy output, improve infrastructure development, and generate employment opportunities in Jammu and Kashmir region.
• Experts view the timing of accelerated implementation as a reflection of India’s evolving policy approach toward greater control of allocated transboundary river resources.