The story of the 9 MW Sewa-III Hydroelectric Project is not just about a defunct power unit in Mashka, Basohli. It is a stark reflection of a deeper malaise that continues to weaken Jammu & Kashmir’s power sector: bureaucratic inertia, administrative apathy, and a troubling absence of accountability.
Commissioned with optimism in 2002, the project has remained non-functional since 2013, trapped in a labyrinth of files, floods, and official indifference. What should have been a routine restoration after flood-induced damage has instead become a case study in how government systems can fail spectacularly. The J&K Power Development Department (PDD) and the J&K State Power Development Corporation (JKSPDC) have repeatedly shown how procedural delays can cripple essential infrastructure.
The fact that a Detailed Project Report – the first basic step toward revival – took nine years to prepare speaks volumes. Even after its submission in 2022, the Board of Directors chose to defer the matter again in 2023. Meanwhile, fresh floods in August 2025 have caused further setbacks. Each passing year has only deepened the damage, both to the infrastructure and to public faith in the system.
But the Sewa-III debacle is not an isolated failure. It exposes systemic problems within JKSPDC: weak planning, poor coordination, technical incompetence, and a worrying inability to manage even modest hydropower projects. If a 9 MW unit cannot be revived in twelve years, how can the system be trusted with larger, strategic hydel ventures crucial for the region’s energy future?
One of the greatest missed opportunities is the underutilisation of the Ravi River’s hydropower potential on the J&K side. Precious water resources continue to flow away unused each year, while the Union Territory remains dependent on expensive power purchases from outside sources.
The government must recognise that the issue is not just technical—it is structural. The delay in reviving the Sewa-III Project has already embarrassed the UT’s power apparatus. Allowing the lethargy to continue would be a tacit acceptance that bureaucratic delays matter more than public welfare.
If the administration is genuinely serious about strengthening J&K’s local generation capacity, it must enforce accountability—firmly and visibly. Deadlines must be real, responsibilities must be fixed, and failures must have consequences.
Twelve years is far too long for a community to wait for a small hydropower project. It is time for J&K to break free from the cycle of indecision and deliver on the promise of energy independence.DD
