Kishtwar Locks Land Rates for NHPC's Dulhasti-II

Land acquisition rates approved

NHPC has cleared a critical land-linked hurdle on its 260 MW (2x130 MW) Dulhasti Stage-II Hydroelectric Project after Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar Pankaj Kumar Sharma approved acquisition rates for the Power House Site, Dumping Site and access Road.

The District Administration fixed market value for 125 Kanals 15½ Marlas of un-irrigated land across three villages:

- Kishtwar: Rs 22.73 lakh per Kanal
- Pochhal: Rs 22.30 lakh per Kanal
- Palmar: Rs 3.82 lakh per Kanal

The rates were derived from notified Stamp Duty values for 2026 and the three-year average sale record, in line with the RFCTLARR Act, 2013.

Why rate fixation matters for NHPC

For NHPC, the significance is procedural but commercially material. Rate fixation is the gateway to finalising the Land Acquisition Award, releasing statutory compensation—including solatium, additional amount and asset value—and securing physical possession.

Until possession transfers, the Power House Site, dumping ground and road corridor cannot be released for construction mobilisation.

The rate spread is telling. Kishtwar and Pochhal land is valued near Rs 22.3–22.73 lakh per Kanal, while Palmar sits at Rs 3.82 lakh per Kanal—a near six-fold differential that reflects terrain, connectivity and development pressure rather than uniform land economics.

That variance will shape NHPC's land cost base and compensation outgo across the three villages.

Next steps and industry outlook

Officials present—ADC Pawan Kotwal, ACR Idrees Lone, SDMs and HoP Dulhasti Stage-II ShivNath Kumar—signal district-level alignment between the administration and NHPC's project team.

The next test is speed: converting the approved rates into a finalised Award and actual disbursement without reopening disputes.

The industry signal is not the rate itself. It is that land-linked clearances remain the binding constraint on Himalayan hydro capacity.

For contractors and supply chains watching NHPC's pipeline, a fixed land value means the project is one step closer to package tendering, site handover and construction spend—provided the compensation process holds.