‘Conveyed Pakistan’s concerns over violation of IWT to India’: Meher Ali Shah

LAHORE: Pakistan’s Indus Water Commissioner Syed Meher Ali Shah on Friday said that they conveyed Pakistan’s concerns over violation of Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) to India during the dialogues in New Delhi.  

While talking to journalists upon arrival at the Lahore airport, Syed Meher Ali Shah told the journalists that they had inspected the contentious hydroelectric projects, being built at Chenab River by India and had expressed their concerns.

He said that they voiced concerns over the designs of 1,500 megawatt Pakal Dul dam and 45 megawatt Lower Kulnai dam which were being constructed on River Chenab.

It is pertinent to mention here that team of Pakistani water officials had left for India via Wagah border crossing on Jan 27 to inspect India’s contentious hydroelectric projects.

They met their Indian counterparts after five months since the last year talks held in August under the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) signed by the leaders of the two countries in 1960.

In the previous round of talks in Lahore, officials from both the countries had failed to gain any progress over the river water dispute.

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

Later, they invited Pakistani officials to visit and inspect the two hydro-electric power projects.

It is pertinent to note that Indian Prime Minister Modi threatened to scrap the Indus Waters Treaty on several occasions in the past.

The Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) was formed under the treaty which includes Indus commissioners of both the countries. The treaty provides both the commissioners a chance to meet at least once every year.

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

The conundrum arises on the Indian claims that it has unrestricted rights to develop hydroelectric power projects on the western rivers.

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 whereas Indian officials insist on their right to build these projects and contend that their design is fully in compliance to the treaty’s guidelines.