J&K to add 3,090 MW hydropower with five major projects underway

Srinagar, Apr 03: Jammu and Kashmir is set to see a boost in its power generation capacity, with five major hydroelectric projects under construction, totaling 3,090 MW, the Union Minister of Power, Manohar Lal, informed the Lok Sabha.
Among these, Kishtwar district has emerged as the hydropower hub, hosting four key projects—Ratle (850 MW), Pakal Dul (1,000 MW), Kiru (624 MW), and Kwar (540 MW)—which together account for 3,014 MW of the total capacity. The Parnai project (38 MW) in Poonch is also under development.
The Ratle Hydroelectric Project, which had faced delays, has been revived through a collaboration between NHPC, JKSPDC, and the J&K Power Development Department (PDD). Meanwhile, the Pakal Dul, Kiru, and Kwar projects are being built through central and joint venture models.
The government has introduced several measures to ensure these projects are completed on time which include IT-based monitoring, dispute resolution mechanisms, and policies to reduce delays and cost overruns.