State PCS - JAMMU & KASHMIR (JKAS)

• 06 May 2025

Baglihar Dam

Why in News? 

In a significant move, India has blocked the flow of water to Pakistan through the Baglihar Dam on the Chenab River and is planning to take similar action at the Kishanganga Dam on the Jhelum River. 

 Key Points 

•  About Baglihar Dam: 
  • The Baglihar Dam, officially known as the Baglihar Hydroelectric Power Project, is a run-of-the-river hydroelectric facility located on the Chenab River in Doda district, Jammu and Kashmir. 
  • The dam is a concrete gravity structure, measuring 144.5 metres in height and 363 metres in length, with a total volume of 1.9 million cubic metres. 
    • It creates a reservoir with a storage capacity of approximately 475 million cubic metres. 
    • The underground powerhouse spans 221 metres in length, 24 metres in width, and 51 metres in height. 
  • Project planning began in 1992, received official approval in 1996, and construction started in 1999. 
  • The project was implemented in two phases, each with an installed capacity of 450 MW. 
    • The first phase was completed in 2004, and the second phase was commissioned on 10 October 2008. 
    • The dam currently has a total installed capacity of 900 MW. 
• Kishanganga Dam: 
  • The Kishanganga project is located 5 km north of Bandipore in Jammu and Kashmir, India. 
  • It is a run-of-the-river project that includes a 37 m tall concrete-face rock-fill dam. 
  • It requires diverting water from the Kishanganga River through a tunnel to a power plant in the Jhelum River basin. 
    • It will have an installed capacity of 330 MW. 
    • The construction of this hydroelectric project began in 2007. 
  • Pakistan objected to the project arguing that it will affect the flow of the Kishanganga River (called the Neelum River in Pakistan). 
  • In 2013, The Hague’s Permanent Court of Arbitration (CoA) ruled that India could divert all the water with certain conditions. 

 Chenab River 

 

• Source: It rises in the upper Himalayas in the Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh state. 
  • The river is formed by the confluence of two rivers, Chandra and Bhaga, at Tandi, 8 km southwest of Keylong, in the Lahaul and Spiti district. 
    • The Bhaga river originates from Surya taal lake, which is situated a few kilometers west of the Bara-lacha la pass in Himachal Pradesh. 
    • The Chandra river originates from glaciers east of the same pass (near Chandra Taal). 
• Flows Through: It flows through the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir into the plains of Punjab, Pakistan, before flowing into the Indus River. 
• Some of the important projects/dams on Chenab: 
  • Ratle Hydro Electric Project 
  • Salal Dam- hydroelectric power project near Reasi 
  • Dul Hasti Hydroelectric Plant- power project in Kishtwar District 
  • Pakal Dul Dam (under construction)- on a tributary Marusadar River in Kishtwar District. 

 Jhelum River 

• About: 
  • The Jhelum River flows through northwestern India and northern and eastern Pakistan, serving as a major tributary of the Indus River. 
  • Known as Vyeth in Kashmiri, Vitasta in Sanskrit, and Hydaspes in Greek, it is the principal river of the Kashmir Valley. 
  • Among the five rivers of Punjab, it is the largest and westernmost, flowing through Jhelum District in northern Punjab, Pakistan. 
• River Course and Origin: 
  • Origin: The Jhelum originates from the Verinag Spring in Anantnag, located at the base of the Pir Panjal range in Jammu and Kashmir. 
    • It flows northwestward through the Vale of Kashmir, entering Wular Lake near Srinagar, which helps regulate its flow. 
    • After Wular, the river carves a deep and narrow gorge as it moves towards Pakistan. 
    • Eventually, it merges with the Chenab River near Trimmu, in Pakistan's Punjab province. 
  • Total Length: Approximately 725 km (450 miles). 
• Major Tributaries: 
  • The Kishanganga (Neelum) River is the largest tributary, joining the Jhelum near Muzaffarabad. 
  • The Kunhar River, the second-largest tributary, links Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Pakistan near the Kohala Bridge in the Kaghan Valley. 
  • Other important tributaries include: 
    • Sandran River 
    • Bringi River 
    • Arapath River 
    • Watlara River 
    • Lidder River 
    • Veshaw River