Pakistan, India hold water talks in Lahore

LAHORE: Pakistan and India are holding talks on disputed Indian hydropower projects in violation of Indus Water Treaty in Lahore on Wednesday.

The talks are being held at the headquarters of the National Engineering Services of Pakistan (Nespak). A nine member Indian delegation, led by Indian Water Commissioner, P. K. Saxena is in Lahore for the crucial talks.

Pakistani side is led by Commissioner for Indus Water, Syed Mehr Ali Shah.

During talks, Pakistan will reiterate its reservations over construction of 1000-MW Pakal Dul and 48-MW Lower Kalnai hydroelectric projects on two different tributaries of River Chenab by India.

Indian Prime Minister Modi, on several occasions, has vehemently announced to scrap Indus Waters Treaty, an agreement signed between India and Pakistan in 1960.

The Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) was formed under Indus Waters Treaty, it includes the Indus commissioners of both the countries. The treaty provides for 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 of India in Chenab basin, namely Pakal Dul (1000MW) and Lower Kalnai (48MW), violate the treaty’s provisions, while the Indian side insists its right to build these projects and holds that their design is fully in compliance of set guidelines.