Tulbul Navigation Project in Jammu and Kashmir | 16 Feb 2026

Why in News?

The long-pending Tulbul Navigation Project (TNP) has re-emerged in focus on its revival, highlighting its strategic, legal, and developmental significance in the context of the Indus Waters Treaty and water resource management in Jammu & Kashmir.

Key Points:

• Project: The Tulbul Navigation Project is a proposed lock-and-control structure on the Jhelum River at the mouth of Wular Lake in Jammu & Kashmir, intended to regulate water flow.
• Objective: The primary aim is to maintain a minimum water level in the Jhelum River to ensure year-round inland navigation between Srinagar and Baramulla.
• Background: The project was conceived in the early 1980s, and construction began in 1984 but was halted in 1987 following objections from Pakistan.
  • Pakistan objected to the project under the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty, arguing that it violated treaty clauses related to storage and control of western rivers.
• India’s Stand: India maintains that the project involves non-consumptive use of water and is permissible under the treaty framework.
• Significance: The project could improve inland water transport, assist in flood control, support hydropower generation during lean seasons, and enhance water management in the Kashmir Valley.
  • Discussions on revival have gained traction amid changing dynamics surrounding the Indus Waters Treaty and renewed focus on water resource utilisation in Jammu & Kashmir.