The Ministry of Environment's Expert Appraisal Committee approved the 260-megawatt Dulhasti Stage-II hydropower project on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district. The approval was given during the committee's 45th meeting earlier this month. The project will cost over ₹3,200 crore and construction tenders will now be floated. The clearance comes after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan on April 23, 2025, following a terror attack in Pahalgam. According to the committee, the Chenab River's water is shared between India and Pakistan under the Indus Water Treaty, but the treaty is now suspended. Previously, Pakistan had rights over the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers, while India had rights over the Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej rivers. With the treaty suspended, India is moving ahead with many hydropower projects on the Indus basin, including Dulhasti Stage-II, Sawalkote, Ratle, Bursar, Pakal Dul, Kwar, Kiru, and Kirthai I and II. Dulhasti Stage-II will extend the existing 390 MW Dulhasti Stage-I Hydro Electric Project, which has been operational since 2007. The new project involves diverting water from the Stage-I station through a separate tunnel 3,685 metres long and 8.5 metres wide to create a horseshoe-shaped pondage. The plan includes a surge shaft, pressure shaft, and an underground powerhouse with two units of 130 MW each, totaling 260 MW capacity. The project will use 60.3 hectares of land, including 8.27 hectares of private land from Benzwar and Palmar villages in Kishtwar district.