Centre nod for Chenab hydel project despite Pakistan objections

The Centre on Wednesday decided to go ahead with the long-pending 850 megawatt Ratle hydroelectric power project on the river Chenab in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, despite objections raised by the Pakistan government over the same.

J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said the approval for the Rs 5,822 crore project came at a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier in the day.

To be built near Drabshalla village in Kishtwar, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had laid the foundation stone for the project on June 25, 2013. However, the Pakistan government had objected to the construction of the dam, claiming that it was not in conformity with the Indus Water Treaty.