Omar Abdullah Announces Roadmap to Triple J&K’s Hydropower Capacity, Targeting 11,000 MW by 2035

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir is preparing for a decisive transformation in its energy sector, with the government announcing plans to triple its installed hydropower capacity to nearly 11,000 MW by 2035. 

Officials say this ambitious roadmap will not only reshape the Union Territory’s power profile but also position it as a hydropower hub of national importance.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, speaking in the Assembly, revealed that J&K has an estimated hydropower potential of 18,000 MW, of which 15,000 MW has been identified. At present, only 3,540.15 MW — about 24% of the identified potential — has been harnessed.

The current operational capacity includes 13 UT-owned projects totalling 1,197.4 MW, six central sector projects operated by NHPC with 2,250 MW, and 12 private sector projects contributing 92.75 MW spread across districts such as Doda, Poonch, Bandipora, Baramulla, Ganderbal, Budgam, Anantnag, and Ramban.

As per the details available, the roadmap for expansion is striking. Six under-construction projects are expected to add 3,063.5 MW, while eight upcoming ventures in tendering, DPR, or clearance stages will contribute another 4,507 MW.

The private sector is projected to add between 100–150 MW, taking the total installed capacity to around 11,000 MW by 2035.

Officials said that with the Indus Water Treaty kept in abeyance, construction on ongoing projects has accelerated, and efforts are underway to identify potential storage projects to maximize untapped reserves.

Pertinently, major operational plants already include Baglihar-I and II (450 MW each), Lower Jhelum (105 MW), Salal (690 MW), Uri-I (480 MW), Dulhasti (390 MW), Kishenganga (330 MW), and Uri-II (240 MW).

As per the experts, the aggressive push reflects a broader vision of harnessing J&K’s rivers and valleys to fuel growth, industry, and regional development. By 2035, the Union Territory aims to move from being a region with underutilized hydropower potential to one of India’s leading energy producers, signalling a decade of rapid infrastructure expansion and strategic importance.

“If these projects really take off, villages like ours will finally see reliable electricity. We’ve lived with power cuts for years, so this feels like hope,” said Abdul Rashid Wagay from Bandipora

“Hydropower means jobs for our youth. Construction, maintenance and allied industries can change the employment picture in districts like Doda and Ramban,” added Shazia Bano, a schoolteacher in Doda.