India’s response on water projects sought

Three rounds of water talks between Islamabad and New Delhi concludes

ISLAMABAD:

Islamabad has sought New Delhi’s response to its objections over Indian water projects including Pakal Dul and Lower Kalnai.

The demand was made during the 117th meeting of the India-Pakistan Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) held in Islamabad from March 1 to 3.

Pakal Dul is a hydropower project with an expected gross storage of 108,000 acre feet of water. The project was designed in a manner that would facilitate the dam being filled every monsoon season between June and August.

The Lower Kalnai project -- on the left bank tributary of Chenab – is expected to have a gross storage of 1,508 acre feet of water.

Under the relevant provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty 1960, the meeting takes place alternatively in Pakistan and India every year.

The Indian delegation comprising 10 members was headed by Indian Commissioner for Indus Waters PK Saxena. The Pakistani delegation was led by Pakistan Commissioner for Indus Waters, Syed Muhammad Mehar Ali Shah.

The entire gamut of water-related issues between Pakistan and India were discussed in the meeting. Pakistan reiterated its observations on the construction of the 644 MW Khetro Hydropower Project on the Chenab River by India.

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

Read: Pakistan, India vow to implement Indus Waters Treaty in ‘true spirit’

It also made its observations on India’s new run-of-the-river small hydroelectric projects on western rivers.
Pakistan has also asked the visiting delegation about any flood-flow information in advance as per the provisions of the treaty and stick to the practice that was in place between 1989 and 2018.

However, 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.

Both sides reiterated their commitment to implement the Indus Waters Treaty in its true spirit and expressed the hope that the next meeting of the commission would be held at an early date in India.

Pakistan has been demanding that India reduces the height of the water storage capacity of the Pakal Dul dam by five metres, while its spillway gates should be 40 metres higher than the sea level.

According to Shah, India has assured that Pakistan would 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 project had been stopped since 2014.