new Delhi: A 10-member Indian delegation has arrived in Pakistan for the annual meeting of the Permanent Commission on Indus Waters (PCIW) and the two sides will discuss information on flood flows during the current season, among other topics, and future events, meetings, and inspections.
According to the Dawn newspaper report, the delegation, headed by the Indian Commissioner of Indus Waters, reached here on Monday via the Wagah border, the annual PCIW meeting being organized by the office of the Indus Waters Commissioner of Pakistan under the obligations of the Indus Waters Treaty-1960. had come to participate. ,
The meeting is to be held in Islamabad on March 1-3. The visit of the Indian delegation was earlier scheduled for mid-January but was postponed due to COVID-related restrictions at India’s request.
“The Indian delegation entered the country via the Wagah border (Lahore) and then reached Islamabad. The delegation, headed by Indian commissioner PK Saxena, includes three women officers,” a senior official from the office of Pakistan’s commissioner for Indus waters said in the report.
This is the first time since the signing of the treaty that three women officers will also be part of the Indian delegation, which will advise the Indian commissioner on various issues during the meeting.
The delegation will include advisors to the Central Water Commission, Central Electricity Authority, National Hydroelectric Power Corporation and Saxena from the Ministry of External Affairs.
The Pakistani official said the participants were on arrangements regarding communication of advance information about the flood flow during the current season, maintenance of free flow of water in the Sutlej river, and finalization of future programmes, meetings, tours and inspections. ready to discuss.
This meeting is taking place amid the cold in bilateral relations regarding the Kashmir issue.
The participants will also finalize and sign the record of the last PCIW meeting under the agenda items of the meeting.
“There are no plans for any field visits/inspection by the members of the Indian delegation during their stay in Pakistan as they have come only to attend the meeting,” the official said.
In addition to the objections already under discussion on the 1,000 MW Pakal Dul and 48 MW Lower Kalnai hydroelectric projects, Pakistan has also expressed concern over the construction of 10 hydroelectric projects – Durbuk Shyok, Nimu Chilling, Kiru, Tamasha, Kalarus- II, Baltikulan Small, Kargil Hunderman, Fagla, Kulan Ramwari, and Mandi.
“Therefore, all these projects have been made part of the PCIW meeting, during which the team of Pakistan Indus Water Commission headed by Syed Muhammad Meher Ali Shah will reiterate its objections and seek answers/justifications from the Indian delegation,” the official explained.
“In addition, the two countries will also resume talks on the Pakal Dul and Lower Kalnai projects,” he said.
Since the annual meetings, under the treaty, are to be held before 31 March each year, alternating in the two countries, the Pakistani delegation made a two-day visit to New Delhi from 23 to 24 March last year.
During the meeting, participants discussed Pakistan’s objections to the design of Pakal Dul, Lower Kalnai and other hydroelectric projects, including the 19MW Durbuk and 24MW Nimu-chilling plants, and other data-related issues.
The Indian side had shared certain information/documents with Pakistan regarding 1,000MW Pakal Dul and 48MW Lower Kalnai hydroelectric projects.
The report said that she had agreed to have the site of the controversial Kishanganga Hydroelectric Project inspected by Pakistani experts.
As per the treaty, India is empowered to generate hydropower through run-of-the-river projects on western rivers, subject to specific criteria for design and operation.
The agreement also gives Pakistan the right to object to the design of Indian hydroelectric projects on the western rivers. Pakistan has objected to the design of these projects.
India, however, claims that the project’s design conforms to the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) and is certified by the Central Water Commission and the Central Electricity Authority, the country’s apex organizations in the field of water resources. and power.
Under the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) signed between India and Pakistan in 1960, all waters from the eastern rivers – Sutlej, Beas and Ravi – amounting to about 33 million acre feet (MAF) are allocated to India for unrestricted use .
The waters of the western rivers – the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab – are about 135 MAF annually, largely assigned to Pakistan. India is permitted to run river plants on western rivers with limited storage as per norms specified in the treaty.
Under the provisions of Article VIII(5) of the Indus Waters Treaty, the Permanent Indus Commission is required to meet regularly at least once a year, alternately between India and Pakistan. The last meeting of the Commission was held on 23-24 March 2021 in New Delhi. PTI SH PR RS AKJ RS