{"id":186714,"date":"2025-10-29T10:04:37","date_gmt":"2025-10-29T05:04:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/?p=186714"},"modified":"2025-10-29T17:58:52","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T12:58:52","slug":"indias-new-hydro-projects-draw-global-alarm-over-violations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/2025\/10\/29\/indias-new-hydro-projects-draw-global-alarm-over-violations.html","title":{"rendered":"India\u2019s new hydro projects draw global alarm over violations"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-186715\" src=\"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/assests\/2025\/10\/zz-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"392\" height=\"185\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/assests\/2025\/10\/zz-2.jpg 392w, https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/assests\/2025\/10\/zz-2-390x185.jpg 390w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 392px) 100vw, 392px\" \/>Srinagar: India\u2019s aggressive pursuit of large-scale hydroelectric projects across its northern and northeastern regions has sparked deep concern among environmentalists and humanitarian observers, who warn that New Delhi\u2019s dam-building spree is fast becoming a tool of \u201cwater terrorism\u201d against neighbouring states and millions of vulnerable communities downstream.<\/p>\n<p>According to a Kashmir Media Service report, India\u2019s expansion of mega hydro projects in the Brahmaputra and Chenab basins flagrantly disregards international humanitarian norms and environmental sustainability. Projects such as the 2000 MW Subansiri Lower (with its dam height of 125 metres and cost escalation from \u20b96,285 crore in 2002 to INR 26,075 crore), the 1650 MW Upper Subansiri, 2880 MW Dibang, and 1800 MW Kamala in Arunachal Pradesh exemplify a reckless hydropolicy driven by control rather than cooperation.<\/p>\n<p>Analysts note that India\u2019s plans for over 208 new dams across twelve northeastern sub-basins\u2014capable of generating nearly 65,000 MW\u2014mimic China\u2019s Medog hydropower model but without any bilateral safeguards or regional coordination, posing grave ecological and humanitarian risks.<\/p>\n<p>In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, India has accelerated construction on the Chenab River\u2019s Pakal Dul (1000 MW), Kiru (624 MW), Kwar (540 MW), and Ratle (850 MW) projects, while effectively undermining the Indus Waters Treaty\u2014turning shared rivers into instruments of coercion.<\/p>\n<p>Experts warn these moves threaten irrigation networks, drinking water supplies, and food security across downstream regions, particularly in Pakistan.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, thousands of tribal and rural families face forced displacement without proper rehabilitation\u2014an affront to their fundamental right to life and livelihood.<\/p>\n<p>Environmental experts and rights defenders have urged India to abandon its coercive \u201chydro-hegemony\u201d and instead pursue cooperative, sustainable, and community-led water management\u2014warning that the current trajectory risks deepening regional instability and humanitarian suffering.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Srinagar: India\u2019s aggressive pursuit of large-scale hydroelectric projects across its northern and northeastern regions has sparked deep concern among environmentalists and humanitarian observers, who warn that New Delhi\u2019s dam-building spree is fast becoming a tool of \u201cwater terrorism\u201d against neighbouring states and millions of vulnerable communities downstream. According to a Kashmir Media Service report, India\u2019s &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":186715,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[5],"class_list":["post-186714","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-india","tag-top-story"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/assests\/2025\/10\/zz-2.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/186714","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=186714"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/186714\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":186716,"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/186714\/revisions\/186716"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/186715"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=186714"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=186714"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=186714"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}