Two Key Water Projects in J&K Set to Begin After Indus Treaty Suspension

February 10, 2026

Sarinanagar/Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Tuesday that two long-stalled water projects could move forward after the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT).

These projects include the Tulbul Navigation Barrage (Jelam River, Kashmir) and a plan to lift water from the Chenab River to Jammu city.

Speaking in Parliament House, Abdullah said that both projects had been stalled for decades due to restrictions under the treaty. “We had previously submitted these proposals to the Asian Development Bank, but they were not approved, and they were affected by the Indus Water Treaty,” he said.

Chenab Water Lifting and Tulbul Barrage Revisited

The Chief Minister said the government is now working with the central government to revive these projects.

“Now that the Indus Water Treaty is suspended, we are working with the central government on two important projects—the Tulbul Navigation Barrage near Sopore and the Chenab Water Lifting for Jammu City,” he said in the Assembly.

He expressed hope that work on both projects would begin soon.

Jammu’s Future Water Supply Challenge

Responding to a question raised by BJP MLA Sham Lal Sharma regarding water supply in the Jammu Municipal Corporation area, Abdullah said the current system is not capable of meeting future needs.

“We have to plan Jammu’s water supply for the next 30-40 years. Current sources cannot meet the growing demand,” he said.

Currently, Jammu city receives its water supply from the Tawi River, which is unable to meet the needs of the rapidly growing population.

New Opportunity for Projects Stalled by Treaty Suspension

India suspended the Indus Water Treaty after the Pahalgam terrorist attack (April 22, 2025). The treaty ensured the uninterrupted flow of rivers from Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to Pakistan.

Abdullah has consistently criticized the treaty, calling it “the most unfair treaty” and stating that it limited Jammu and Kashmir to river water harvesting and run-of-the-river hydropower projects.

The Tulbul Navigation Project was planned in the early 1980s, with the aim of controlling water levels, facilitating navigation, and increasing winter power generation by installing drop gates at the mouth of Wular Lake. Work on the project began in 1984 but was halted in 1987 after Pakistan objected.

Similarly, the Chenab Water Supply Scheme was designed to provide a permanent drinking water source for Jammu city and surrounding areas, but could not be implemented due to treaty constraints.