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Indian water experts to visit PoK for inspection

Gargi Parsai

Differences remain on Kishanganga and Uri-II projects

NEW DELHI: Indian water experts will visit Pakistan's site of the Neelam-Jhelum project (Kishanganga in India) near Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) later this year to assess Pakistan's claims on the agriculture and hydroelectric uses in the valley.

The decision was taken during the annual meeting of the Commissioner-level Permanent Indus Commission here , according to India's Indus Commissioner D.V. Thareja. Jamait Ali Shah led the Pakistan team.

Differences of opinion remained on the 330 MW inter-tributary transfer Kishanganga dam in Baramulla and the 240 MW Uri-II power project on Jhelum river in Jammu and Kashmir during the bilateral meeting.

While Pakistan claimed that the Kishanganga project on Jhelum, near Bandipur, about 150 km near the Line of Control, would impact environment and the water available for irrigation in the Jhelum valley, India maintained that it was well within the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 between the two countries on the project.

As per the provisions in the Treaty, India is to protect any agriculture or power use prevailing before the commencement of its project. Pakistan claimed that it had begun construction of its 960 MW Neelam-Jhelum project and India's Kishanganga project would affect its existing waters for agriculture use.

The Indian side said there had been no violations in the design of the project and the used waters would be re-routed into the river.

Uri-II project

On the Uri-II project, while the Pakistan side claimed that it had asked for stoppage of the project till the differences were resolved, informed sources told The Hindu that there was no mention of any such Pakistan demand in the agreed minutes.

As in the Baglihar power project, Pakistan has again raised issues of pondage, sluice gates, water intake and release of water downstream in the Uri-II power project which is a run-of-the river project. Besides discussing the differences, both sides finalised the annual report of the Commission and broadly chalked out programmes for inspections of projects. They agreed on India sharing advance information on floods and also on joint inspection of the floods bunding on Ravi.

There was agreement that bi-lateral water issues should be resolved at the Commissioner level within a time frame and in the spirit of the treaty. As per the Treaty, India has rights over Ravi, Beas and Sutlej while Pakistan has similar rights over Jhelum, Sindh and Chenab.

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