NEW DELHI: Centre has identified as priority irrigation and power generation, among other developmental projects, in the Indus River Basin in sync with its resolve to utilise additional waters of western rivers - Indus, Jhelum and Chenab - in J&K and its neighbouring states in a time-bound manner.
The decision on how to streamline these projects by infusing additional funding under the "all hands on deck" approach was taken during an inter-ministerial meeting - involving officials of home, MEA, power & Jal Shakti ministries - on the issue Tuesday. It was the first such meeting after keeping the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance following Pahalgam attack.
"It was decided to fast-track the implementation of pending projects - be it irrigation canals, navigation projects or under-construction power projects - through priority funding in the medium and long-term," a source said.
He said since the treaty is suspended, India is not under obligation to share water flow data or basic project detail with Pakistan, and it makes it easier to do flushing to clear sediments from reservoirs of existing hydro-power projects to augment their storage capacities without informing the neighbouring country.
India recently did flushing and desilting as a short-term measure to store additional water in reservoirs of two run-of-the-river hydro-power projects - Baglihar and Salal - on the Chenab in J&K.
"Power ministry representatives have been asked to speed up works on four under-construction hydro-power projects and work on getting clearances for another three by holding consultations with experts," the source added.
Out of an estimated power potential of about 20,000 MW, which could be harnessed from power projects on western rivers, only around 4,000 MW capacity of hydro-power generation units has, so far, been constructed in India.
The decision on how to streamline these projects by infusing additional funding under the "all hands on deck" approach was taken during an inter-ministerial meeting - involving officials of home, MEA, power & Jal Shakti ministries - on the issue Tuesday. It was the first such meeting after keeping the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance following Pahalgam attack.
"It was decided to fast-track the implementation of pending projects - be it irrigation canals, navigation projects or under-construction power projects - through priority funding in the medium and long-term," a source said.
He said since the treaty is suspended, India is not under obligation to share water flow data or basic project detail with Pakistan, and it makes it easier to do flushing to clear sediments from reservoirs of existing hydro-power projects to augment their storage capacities without informing the neighbouring country.
India recently did flushing and desilting as a short-term measure to store additional water in reservoirs of two run-of-the-river hydro-power projects - Baglihar and Salal - on the Chenab in J&K.
"Power ministry representatives have been asked to speed up works on four under-construction hydro-power projects and work on getting clearances for another three by holding consultations with experts," the source added.
Out of an estimated power potential of about 20,000 MW, which could be harnessed from power projects on western rivers, only around 4,000 MW capacity of hydro-power generation units has, so far, been constructed in India.
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