Flash Floods Delay J&K Hydel Projects by Up to Five Months: J&K Bank MD
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Bank Managing Director and CEO Amitava Chatterjee on Monday said that flash floods triggered by heavy rains a few months ago have pushed back the completion timelines of several hydel power projects in the Union Territory by three to five months.
Chatterjee clarified that while the bank has not been directly impacted by these delays, the possibility of cost overruns in the affected projects cannot be ruled out.
Over the past few months, Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a spate of natural calamities—including cloudbursts, torrential rains, and massive landslides—that have claimed several lives, damaged infrastructure, and disrupted normal life across the region.
“Most infrastructure projects, particularly hydel power projects currently under construction, have been delayed by three to five months. The Date of Commencement and Commercial Operations (DCCO) has been affected, which in turn will delay commercial production,” Chatterjee said.
However, he emphasised that there is no immediate financial stress on the bank. “Our funding is intact. The projects we are involved in have sufficient support, and I do not foresee major cost overruns. The executing companies have assured us they can manage additional funding independently,” he added.
Currently, five major power projects with a combined generation capacity of nearly 3,100 MW are under construction in Jammu and Kashmir — Ratle (850 MW), Pakal Dul (1,000 MW), Kiru (624 MW), Kwar (540 MW), and Parnai (38 MW).
Four of these, located along the Chenab river and its tributaries in Kishtwar district, were among the worst hit by the August cloudburst and heavy rains. The Parnai project, meanwhile, is located in Poonch district.
The disaster on August 14 at Chositi in Kishtwar claimed over 60 lives and left around 300 people injured.
Asked whether there had been an increase in borrowings from flood-affected regions, Chatterjee said, “We haven’t observed any such trend yet. Most rehabilitation efforts are being managed at other levels, and there hasn’t been a need for additional bank funding so far.”
