Pakistani officials team to return from India today, after water talks

LAHORE: A delegation of Pakistani water officials led by Indus Water Commissioner Mehr Ali Shah will return from New Delhi on Friday (today), ARY News reported.

The team of Pakistani water officials had left for India via Wagah border crossing on January 27 to inspect India’s contentious hydroelectric projects, being built at Chenab river.

The water officials of Pakistan and India met after about five months since August last year talks.

The delegations held talks under the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) signed by the leaders of the two countries in 1960.

In previous round of talks in Lahore, the officials of Pakistan and India were failed to gain any progress over the river water dispute.

According to official sources, Pakistani team inspected the 1000-MW Pakal Dul and 48-MW Lower Kalnai hydroelectric projects on two different tributaries of River Chenab by India.

The previous round of talks was ended in a stalemate due to lack of flexibility from India, however, the Indian side led by its water commissioner PK Sexena was agreed that all issues between the two countries would be resolved under the Indus Water Treaty.

The country, later invited Pakistani officials to visit and inspect the two hydro-electric power projects.

Indian Prime Minister Modi, on several occasions announced to scrap the Indus Waters Treaty.

The Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) was formed under the treaty, it includes the Indus commissioners of both the countries. The treaty provides both the commissioners to meet at least once every year, alternately in India and Pakistan.

The treaty specifies that the waters of three eastern rivers namely Ravi, Beas and Sutlej, had been reserved for India while that of western rivers, namely Indus, Chenab and Jhelum, are for Pakistan.

However, India claims it has unrestricted rights to develop hydroelectric power projects on the western rivers, within the specified parameters of design.

Pakistan says that the design of two under-construction hydroelectric projects on Chenab Pakal Dul (1000MW) and Lower Kalnai (48MW), violate the river water treaty, while the Indian officials insist on their right to build these projects and holds that their design is fully in compliance to the guidelines of the treaty.

The post Pakistani officials team to return from India today, after water talks appeared first on ARYNEWS.