Letter To Editor: Kishtwar's Mega Dams Ignite Demand For Free Local Power

Kishtwar, deep in Jammu and Kashmir's Chenab Valley, is a land of contrasts. Pine-covered mountains rise above meadows nourished by the roaring Chenab River. But the story shaping this remote district today goes beyond its beauty.

Kishtwar has become India's newest powerhouse, a site where one river fuels a cluster of hydroelectric projects that promise to light homes far beyond the Himalayan foothills.

The numbers tell the scale of change. The Dul Hasti project, running since 2007, produces 390 megawatts of electricity. Under construction are Pakal Dul, set to generate 1,000 MW, and Ratle, with a planned 850 MW. Other plants, including Kwar, Kiru and Lower Kalnai, are expected to add more than 1,200 MW combined.

When these projects reach full capacity, Kishtwar will send thousands of megawatts across India's power grid, strengthening energy security and feeding the national appetite for growth.

But inside the district that makes this possible, frustration is rising. Residents pay regular electricity bills despite living in the shadow of giant turbines. Social activists and local leaders have rallied under the slogan“Hamari Bijli Hamko Do”. Our electricity belongs to us.

They want free or subsidized power as recognition of the land and water sacrificed to dams and tunnels. Protests swelled last year before the district administration imposed restrictions on public gatherings. A court stay briefly lifted the ban, but the movement lost momentum.

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