Second round of water talks with India remain inconclusive

Indian water commissioner says can only provide data in case of floods during monsoon

ISLAMABAD:

The second round of high level talks between Islamabad and New Delhi on the construction of hydropower projects by India in the disputed border areas of China, India and Pakistan, including Kargil, remained inconclusive on Wednesday.

India has categorically rejected Pakistan's concerns over the provision of data on the flow of eastern rivers Ravi, Satluj and Beas as per the 1989 data sharing arrangement.

A 12-member Indian delegation led by the Indian Indus Water Commissioner P K Sexena has been in the federal capital for the past two days where talks are underway between the two countries' water commissioners on exchanging river flow data as well as controversial water projects.

The second round of talks began with a 45-minute delay. For security reasons, security officials prevented Pakistani Indus Water Commissioner Syed Mehar Ali Shah from entering the premises at a local hotel in Islamabad.

As a result of this, the Pakistani commissioner went back to the Ministry of Water Resources due to misconduct by security personnel. Later, with the intervention of senior officials, Pakistan's Indus Water Commissioner chaired a high-level meeting on water resources.

In the first round of talks, Shah, along with his Indian counterpart, conveyed technical concerns over the construction of the 644 MW Khetro Hydropower Project on the Chenab River by India.

Pakistan's position on the controversial project was that the design of the project could affect the flow of the Chenab River in Pakistan. This will have a direct impact on the agricultural areas adjacent to Head Marala, a major reservior near Sialkot.

According to sources, the tussle between the Indus Water Commissioners of the two countries started at the time when the Pakistani Indus Water commissioner presented his position to his Indian counterpart regarding the provision of data on the flow of eastern rivers to Pakistan.

Saxena said that India could only provide data on the flow of eastern rivers to Pakistan in case of high floods forecast during the monsoon.

In response, Shah questioned his Indian counterpart as to who would be responsible for the loss of human lives in Pakistan due to floods in case of non-provision of water flow data in the eastern rivers by India in time.

However, the Indian authorities rejected Pakistan's position, under the 1989 unanimous proposal, to provide data on the flow of Indian eastern rivers with Pakistan before the onset of the monsoon.

In the second round of the meeting held on Wednesday, Pakistan raised its objections with India on the design of Pakal Dul and Lower Kalnai, the controversial projects with India.

According to Shah, India has assured that Pakistan will be informed of the positive developments regarding the design of the project by May this year. While India's position on Lower Kalnai was that development work on the said project has been stopped since 2014.

The third and final round of negotiations will take place today (Thursday). The Indian delegation will leave for India via Wagah Border after dinner hosted by the Pakistan Indus Water Commissioner's office.