Punjab may press for dam debate with India
Punjab to urge premier to seek World Bank arbitration on the Kishanganga project.
LAHORE:
The Punjab government is likely to ask the federal government to raise at all possible forums India’s alleged violations of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) of 1960 in building dams and hydropower plants on Pakistani rivers.
The irrigation and power secretary has submitted a summary to the chief minister highlighting the various dams and power plants India has built or plans to build on the Chenab, Jhelum and Indus rivers, whose waters should belong to Pakistan under the IWT. The summary warns that these Indian projects would lessen the flow of water into Pakistan and thus hurt the country’s economy and agriculture.
According to the report, India plans to build 10 hydroelectric plants with a total generation capacity of 5,585 MW, and has completed and commissioned civil works at three plants at Salal, Baghlihar and Dul Husti on the Chenab. India has also completed eight small plants on the Chenab’s tributaries.
Salal, situated some 40 miles upstream of the Marala headworks, has a storage capacity of 58,000 acre feet. Dul Hasti is located 126 miles upstream of Marala and has a live storage capacity of 6,485 acre feet. Baghlihar is located 92 miles above Marala with a storage capacity of 164,000 acre feet. The design of the plant violates the criteria specified in the treaty, according to the summary.
India has built 11 small hydroelectric plants on tributaries of the Jhelum and two plants on the mainstem of the river. It is considering building another 74 small plants on the Jhelum’s tributaries. These plants would be operated on run-of-the-river flows and would affect water supplies reaching Pakistan, says the summary.
India is constructing a dam at Kishanganga on the Neelum River in Indian Jammu and Kashmir just upstream of the Line of Control. The water of this dam is proposed to be diverted through a tunnel into Wuller Lake and a 330 MW powerhouse is to be constructed. Pakistan is also constructing a hydropower plant on the same river in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Diversion of Neelum water to the Kishanganga project would affect power generation at the Pakistan plant by 27 per cent, says the summary. The issue has not been resolved at the level of the Indus Waters Commissioners and so the federal government should approach the World Bank for arbitration on the issue, says the summary.
The summary also suggests the federal government raise the issue of the Wuller barrage project on the basis that man-made storage on the main stem of the Jhelum is not allowed under the IWT. Water storage in Wuller Lake and its pattern of release during winter months would adversely affect the water flow and power generation at Mangla. The federal government should raise the issue in talks with India, says the summary.
India is also building the Uri hydropower plant on the Jhelum. The government has taken up the issue with India, but needs to follow up the case because the project violates the IWT, says the summary.
The federal government should ask India to allow physical inspection of six small hydropower plants that have already been built and 18 such plants that are planned to get first-hand technical knowledge so it can defend Pakistan’s ownership rights at the relevant forum, says the summary.
The Punjab government has been asked to submit its viewpoint to the prime minister next week.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 9th, 2011.
The Punjab government is likely to ask the federal government to raise at all possible forums India’s alleged violations of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) of 1960 in building dams and hydropower plants on Pakistani rivers.
The irrigation and power secretary has submitted a summary to the chief minister highlighting the various dams and power plants India has built or plans to build on the Chenab, Jhelum and Indus rivers, whose waters should belong to Pakistan under the IWT. The summary warns that these Indian projects would lessen the flow of water into Pakistan and thus hurt the country’s economy and agriculture.
According to the report, India plans to build 10 hydroelectric plants with a total generation capacity of 5,585 MW, and has completed and commissioned civil works at three plants at Salal, Baghlihar and Dul Husti on the Chenab. India has also completed eight small plants on the Chenab’s tributaries.
Salal, situated some 40 miles upstream of the Marala headworks, has a storage capacity of 58,000 acre feet. Dul Hasti is located 126 miles upstream of Marala and has a live storage capacity of 6,485 acre feet. Baghlihar is located 92 miles above Marala with a storage capacity of 164,000 acre feet. The design of the plant violates the criteria specified in the treaty, according to the summary.
India has built 11 small hydroelectric plants on tributaries of the Jhelum and two plants on the mainstem of the river. It is considering building another 74 small plants on the Jhelum’s tributaries. These plants would be operated on run-of-the-river flows and would affect water supplies reaching Pakistan, says the summary.
India is constructing a dam at Kishanganga on the Neelum River in Indian Jammu and Kashmir just upstream of the Line of Control. The water of this dam is proposed to be diverted through a tunnel into Wuller Lake and a 330 MW powerhouse is to be constructed. Pakistan is also constructing a hydropower plant on the same river in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Diversion of Neelum water to the Kishanganga project would affect power generation at the Pakistan plant by 27 per cent, says the summary. The issue has not been resolved at the level of the Indus Waters Commissioners and so the federal government should approach the World Bank for arbitration on the issue, says the summary.
The summary also suggests the federal government raise the issue of the Wuller barrage project on the basis that man-made storage on the main stem of the Jhelum is not allowed under the IWT. Water storage in Wuller Lake and its pattern of release during winter months would adversely affect the water flow and power generation at Mangla. The federal government should raise the issue in talks with India, says the summary.
India is also building the Uri hydropower plant on the Jhelum. The government has taken up the issue with India, but needs to follow up the case because the project violates the IWT, says the summary.
The federal government should ask India to allow physical inspection of six small hydropower plants that have already been built and 18 such plants that are planned to get first-hand technical knowledge so it can defend Pakistan’s ownership rights at the relevant forum, says the summary.
The Punjab government has been asked to submit its viewpoint to the prime minister next week.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 9th, 2011.