The Kishanganga hydropower project is a major reason for contention between India and which neighbouring country?

Introduction / Context:
Several of India s large river projects are located in border regions and involve rivers that flow into neighbouring countries. Such projects can become points of political and legal contention because they influence water sharing and downstream flows. The Kishanganga hydropower project, built on a tributary of the Jhelum in Jammu and Kashmir, is one such project that has been at the centre of a dispute under the Indus Waters Treaty framework. Hence, exams often ask with which neighbour this dispute is most closely associated.

Given Data / Assumptions:

The question mentions the Kishanganga hydropower project.

It asks which neighbouring country of India considers this project contentious.

Options are Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and China.

We assume standard knowledge of the Indus river system and the Indus Waters Treaty.

Concept / Approach:
The Kishanganga river in Jammu and Kashmir flows across the Line of Control and is known as the Neelum river in Pakistan administered territory before joining the Jhelum. India s construction of the Kishanganga hydropower project on this river led to objections from Pakistan, which argued that it would affect downstream flows. The matter was taken to international arbitration under the Indus Waters Treaty. Nepal, Bangladesh and China are not parties to the Indus Waters Treaty and are not directly linked to this specific project. Thus the correct approach is to connect Kishanganga with Pakistan as the disputing neighbour.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify Kishanganga as a tributary of the Jhelum river in the Indus basin that flows through Jammu and Kashmir.Step 2: Recall that downstream of the Line of Control, this river is known as the Neelum and flows into Pakistan administered territory.Step 3: Remember that Pakistan raised objections under the Indus Waters Treaty regarding India s construction of a hydropower project on this river.Step 4: Match this information with the options and pick Pakistan as the neighbouring country involved in the dispute.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify this by noting that the Indus Waters Treaty is specifically between India and Pakistan and covers rivers like the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab with their tributaries, including Kishanganga. News reports and official documents clearly mention India and Pakistan taking the Kishanganga issue to international arbitration. There are no such disputes involving Kishanganga between India and Nepal, Bangladesh or China, which confirms that Pakistan is the correct answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Nepal is involved in water sharing discussions with India mainly on Ganga tributaries like Kosi and Gandak, not on Kishanganga in the Indus basin.
Bangladesh has water sharing concerns with India over rivers such as the Ganga and Teesta, not over the Kishanganga hydropower project.
China is involved in discussions about Brahmaputra and other Himalayan rivers, but Kishanganga lies entirely within the India Pakistan sector of the Indus system.
Therefore, these neighbours are not the ones linked to the Kishanganga project dispute.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse different river disputes and may think of Teesta with Bangladesh or Kosi with Nepal when any hydropower project is mentioned. Others may broadly associate all Himalayan river issues with China. The key to avoiding such confusion is to clearly map each project to its river basin and treaty framework: Kishanganga belongs to the Indus system and the Indus Waters Treaty, which directly links it to Pakistan and not to the other neighbours.

Final Answer:
The Kishanganga hydropower project is a major reason for contention between India and Pakistan.