The Environment Ministry's Forest Advisory Committee has granted “in-principle” approval for diverting over 847 hectares of reserved forest and 'jungle-jhari' land in Jammu & Kashmir’s Ramban district for the 1,856-MW Sawalkot hydroelectric project (HEP). This key strategic move, made on June 24, prioritises national interests by setting aside certain green provisions.

Final clearance remains contingent on environmental approval from the Union Territory government. The Sawalkot HEP aims to utilise the hydropower potential of the Chenab river—one of the three western rivers, along with the Indus and Jhelum, whose waters flow into Pakistan under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). Following the suspension of the IWT, India is moving swiftly to assert its rights over these resources for non-consumptive uses like hydroelectricity generation.

The meeting minutes reveal that the committee considered the Union Home Ministry’s June 12 request to bypass cumulative impact assessment (CIA) and carrying capacity studies (CCS), citing national security concerns.