Tulbul project under review, may reshape Indus water dynamics

Srinagar, Apr 25: The long-pending Tulbul Navigation Project on the Jhelum river in Jammu and Kashmir is under active consideration and may move forward, officials said on Saturday.
The project, also known as the Wular Barrage, is being reviewed alongside ongoing ecological restoration efforts at Wular Lake in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, they said.
Officials said consultancy work related to the project is nearing completion and further steps are expected after the assessment.
The Tulbul Navigation Project was initiated in 1984 to regulate water flow in the Jhelum and ensure navigability during lean winter months.
However, work was halted between 1987 and 1989 following objections from Pakistan, which argued that the structure violated provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty that restrict storage on western rivers.
India has maintained that the project is a non-consumptive navigational facility permissible under the treaty. The issue has remained unresolved for decades, effectively stalling the project.
Fresh momentum has emerged after India placed the treaty in abeyance in 2025, prompting a review of projects that were earlier constrained under its provisions, officials said.
They said the Tulbul project is designed to regulate water discharge by storing excess water in Wular Lake during high-flow periods and releasing it during lean months, helping maintain stable water levels in the Jhelum.
The project is also expected to improve inland navigation and support local livelihoods by creating a navigable stretch of around 20 kilometres between Baramulla and Sopore, particularly during winter when water levels recede.
Experts have earlier flagged that regulation of water flow at Wular could alter downstream discharge patterns, a factor that has been central to Pakistan’s concerns.
Officials also highlighted environmental challenges, noting that declining water levels in Wular Lake during spring are increasingly being linked to changing climate patterns, affecting the lake’s hydrology and biodiversity.
Local residents have long demanded revival of the project, saying it would help stabilise water levels and support fisheries and water chestnut production, key sources of livelihood in the area.
Officials said conservation and eco-restoration works at Wular Lake are being carried out in parallel, with focus on improving ecological health while examining long-term infrastructure interventions such as the Tulbul project. (KNO)