ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and India are scheduled to talk today (Wednesday) over the reported violation of the Indus Water Treaty, two controversial water storage and hydropower projects being built by the neighbouring country.
A nine-member delegation headed by Indian Water Commissioner P K Saxena has arrived Pakistan through Wagah border a day earlier.
Pakistan Commissioner for Indus Waters Syed Meher Ali Shah will head the Pakistani delegation.
During the meetings, both the countries are expected to present their reports on the issue. After the talks between the two parties, a joint notification would be issued.
The delegation arrived after Pakistan raised objections to Indian water projects on River Chenab.
Pakistan is of the view that India has violated the Indus Water Treaty by starting construction of reservoirs at a time when the country is reeling from severe water shortage. According to reports, the Indian delegation was initially supposed to visit Pakistan in July, however, due to elections in the country, the meeting was postponed.
Also read India’s Hydrological War
With the new government in Pakistan, the two countries will once again revisit the long-standing water issue and try to find a solution to it. According to sources, Pakistan will raise its concern over the design of two controversial under-construction hydroelectric projects of India in Chenab basin, namely Pakal Dul (1000MW) and Lower Kalnai (48MW), and press India to either modify the designs to make them compliant to the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty or put the projects on hold until Delhi satisfies Islamabad.
Pakal Dul Dam is a reservoir-based scheme currently under construction on River Marusudar, while 48MW Lower Kalnai project is on another tributary of the river.
