A five-member Pakistan delegation and neutral experts visited the Ratle power project in Chenab Valley in Jammu & Kashmir.

Ratle Hydro Electric Project:

• Ratle Hydroelectric Project (850 MW), is a run-of-river scheme located on Chenab river at village Drabshalla in Kishtwar district in Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.

• The Ratle Project is being executed by Ratle Hydroelectric Power Corporation Limited (RHPCL), a joint venture of NHPC Limited and government of J&K, with shareholding of 51:49 percent, respectively.

• The project includes a 133-meter-tall and 194.8-meter-long concrete gravity dam, a diversion dam, and an underground powerhouse on the right bank of the river.

• Pakistan has frequently alleged that the project violates the Indus Waters  Treaty of 1960.

Project Objectives:

• The construction of the project will generate direct and indirect employment for around 4,000 people, contributing to the socio-economic development of the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.

• Jammu & Kashmir will benefit from free power worth Rs 5,289 crore and water usage charges worth Rs 9,581 crore from the Ratle Hydro Electric Project over its 40-year lifecycle.

Chenab River:

• The Chenab River originates in the upper Himalayas within the Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh. 

• It is formed by the confluence of two rivers, the Chandra and Bhaga, at Tandi, located 8 km southwest of Keylong in the Lahaul and Spiti district. 

• The Bhaga River begins at Surya Taal lake, west of the Bara-lacha la pass, while the Chandra River originates from glaciers east of the same pass, near Chandra Taal.

• After its formation, the Chenab flows through the Jammu region, and eventually into the plains of Punjab, Pakistan, where it merges with the Indus River.

Other projects on Chenab Basin:

• Kiru Hydroelectric Project: Planned for Kishtwar district on the Chenab River, it aims to generate 624 MW of electricity.

• Pakal Dul (Drangdhuran) Hydroelectric Project: Located in Kishtwar Tehsil, Doda District, this reservoir-based scheme on the Marusudar River, a major right bank tributary of the Chenab, is designed to harness hydropower.

• Dulhasti Power Station: Situated in Kishtwar district on the Chenab River, this run-of-the-river project has an installed capacity of 390 MW.

• Salal Power Station: Located in Reasi district, Jammu & Kashmir, this run-of-the-river project on the Chenab River has an installed capacity of 690 MW.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)