New Delhi, Oct. 2 -- The Centre has decided to hire outside experts on fixed contracts to evaluate designs of planned hydropower projects, a move aimed at speeding up construction of several dams in the pipeline, an official aware of the details said on Wednesday.

The country plans to expedite construction of a slew of hydroelectric projects to meet its burgeoning power needs, especially in Jammu & Kashmir and the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh. It has prioritised the construction of key projects in J&K, including the 930 MW Kirthai II, 240 MW Uri-1 stage II, and 260 MW Dulhasti stage II.

The development comes months after India kept in abeyance the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan, which governed dams on cross-border ri...