Editorial 2: ​​Testing governance

Context

National security and ecological responsibility are mutually reinforcing goals.

Introduction

The renewed momentum for the Sawalkote Hydroelectric Project on the Chenab River, coming soon after India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) post the Pahalgam attack, has given it distinct geopolitical significance. While symbolising India’s strategic assertion over its water rights, it also raises pressing questions about ecological stability, rehabilitation justice, and long-term Himalayan sustainability.

Fresh Impetus to the Sawalkote Hydroelectric Project

• The Sawalkote Hydroelectric Project (HEP), proposed as a 1.8 GW scheme on the Chenab River, has gained renewed momentum.
• This revival coincides with India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) following the Pahalgam attack (2025), giving the project strong geopolitical overtones.
• However, this symbolism risks diverting attention from the ecological and social implications of large hydropower expansion in a fragile Himalayan zone.

Project and Environmental Concerns

Ecological and Geological Issues

• The Chenab basin already hosts the Dulhasti, Baglihar, and Salal hydropower projects — creating a “bumper-to-bumper” hydropower corridor.
• Cumulative environmental impacts are under-studied — especially:
  • Increased sediment load and reservoir siltation.
  • Greater risk of slope instability and landslides.
  • Fragmentation of river ecosystems and loss of aquatic diversity.
• The project’s classification as run-of-river is misleading due to its large reservoir, making it behave like a storage dam.

Strategic and Geopolitical Dimensions

• The timing indicates India’s intent to operationalise its full entitlement over the western rivers under the IWT.
• Suspension of the treaty removes procedural checks, fast-tracking projects like Sawalkote and Wullar Barrage.
• However, this stance carries risks:
  • May erode India’s credibility as a rule-abiding riparian state.
  • Could invite third-party scrutiny in future disputes — something India has long opposed.
  • Pakistan has already questioned the suspension’s legality under the 1960 framework.

Way Forward: Balancing Strategy and Sustainability

• Strategic assertion must be tempered with ecological restraint.
• Recommended measures:
  • Conduct basin-level environmental and sediment-management studies.
  • Develop regional protocols for slope stability and cumulative impact monitoring.
  • Institutionalise hydrological data-sharing via regional or multilateral platforms to build confidence.
  • Convert hydrological monitoring from a security risk into a trust-building mechanism.
  • Align strategic autonomy with environmental stewardship.

Conclusion

The Sawalkote project embodies the challenge of aligning national security priorities with environmental responsibility. As India asserts control over its western rivers, it must also safeguard fragile ecosystems and uphold regional trust. The project’s enduring legacy will depend on whether strategic ambition evolves into a model of sustainable statecraft, where ecological prudence and national strength reinforce, not undermine, each other.