Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said that the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) was creating hurdles in tapping the hydroelectric potential of Jammu and Kashmir as the treaty between India and Pakistan restricts its ability to harness its huge hydel power potential primarily due to storage constraints.

As a fallout of the treaty barriers, the Chief Minister said J&K pays a heavy price in peak winter months when power generation hits low, creating hardships for its people.

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The Chief Minister, who also holds the charge of Power portfolio, was speaking during the Conference of Power Ministers of States and UTs.

Union Minister for Power, Manohar Lal Khattar, chaired the conference, which was also attended by Additional Chief Secretary to Chief Minister, Dheeraj Gupta, Principal Secretary Power, J&K, H. Rajesh Prasad and MDs of J&K Discoms as part of J&K delegation.

Omar highlighted the limiting clauses in the Indus Water Treaty that restrict Jammu & Kashmir from realising its full hydel potential by only permitting run-of-the-river projects.

“Hydel power is J&K’s only viable energy source. The region is compelled to rely on power imports from other States, which adversely impacts its economy. To address this, J&K would require special compensation from the Government of India, including viability gap funding and equity assistance, to harness its untapped hydro-energy potential,” he said, adding the support would not only help in meeting the region’s energy needs but also contribute to national clean energy goals.

The Chief Minister also sought Centre’s intervention in holding Central Public Sector Undertakings like PESL and National Thermal Power Corporation accountable in fast tracking loss reduction works under the premier Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme in J&K.

The Chief Minister also requested the Power Ministry to consider gap funding for implementation of electric infra works under RDSS.

During the session on solar power potential and green energy, the Chief Minister dwelled upon the solar power energy being generated in Ladakh and said that J&K would like to procure extra energy the UT is able to generate.