news details |
|
|
| For Pakistan Kashmir and water are issues | | | If it is not Kashmir it can be water as the source of conflict between India and Pakistan.Invariably it is both Kashmir and water that are treated as a bone of contention between Delhi and Islamabad.Soon after Delhi agreed to resume dialogue with Islamabad by hosting a meeting between the two Foreign secretaries Pakistan has started blaming India for violating the 1960 Indus Water Treaty by constructing three power projects,the 330 MW Kishenganga power project In Gurez,240 MW Uri II and Chutak.As far as the Kishenganga project is concerned Pakistan has threatened to move the World Bank despite the fact that the Indian side has repeatedly conveyed to Pakistan that none of these three projects were being built in violation of the Indus Water Treaty.Now it has been decided that the two Indus Water Commissioners will meet in Delhi on May 31.In the meeting the issue of the three power projects will come up for discussion. Experts are of the opinion that
India has so far not violated the Indus Water Treaty even if more than six power projects have come up on the rivers Indus,Chenab and the Jehlum.The reason for Pakistan's protests against these pojects is different.Pakistan wants free flow of water of the Chenab and the Jehlum so that its power projects had no problem of poor
generation because of weak river discharge.Pakistan is building over 900 MW power project on Neelam river just 70 kms from the Kishenganga project.Pakistan has roped in a Chinese company for completing the project.Hence it does not want any obstacle in the flow of Jehlum water even after India explained it to Pakistan that there is no impact on the flow of water after the water from the three rivers are used for power generation.But Pakistan has to rake of the water issue to create hurdles in the
speedy completion of the power projects.It is because of these objections raised by Pakistan that number of power projects in Jammu and kashmir,including the Uri-I,Dhul Hasti,Baglihar-I,Salal,were completed after a delay of three to seven years.On a number of occasions India has explained to Pakistan that during the lean period of about four to six months the water level in the Chenab and the Jehlum besides the Indus falls to such an extent that the power projects are able to generate 25 to 40 per cent of electricity against its optimum installed capacity.Pakistan has been told that when during the winter season water level drops Islamabad cannot expect anything else but weak flow of water.But Islamabad usually remains unconvinced even when the members of the Pakistan water commission have visited sites of various power projects.Since Pakistan knows it well that it has the right to move the World Bank it may not lose this right as going to the
World
Bank would mean further delay in the completion of the hydel power project.Islamabad had moved the World Bank after Delhi rejected Pakistan's objections which it raised when it was informed about the construction of the Baglihar power project.The World Bank appointed a Swis engineer as the arbitrator who simply recommended minor modification in the design of the project.The World Bank arbitrator had not accepted all the objections raised by the Pakistan Indus Water Commission.What was amazing was that Pakistan moved the World Bank even after its Indus Water Commission members had visited the Baglihar power project site on more than two occasions.During these visits the members of the Indian Water Commission had explained to the side from Pakistan that the design of the project was within the ambit of the Treaty and will not block the flow of water of the Chenab into Pakistan.As such the May 31 meeting between the members of the two Indus Water
Commissions may not yield any positive results when Islamabad is keen to ensure that the power projects being built by India in Jammu and Kashmir were not completed before Islamabad was able to complete its 900 MW Neelam power project.On various ocasions Pakistan is on record to have stated that water was as important as the Kashmir issue.This indicates that Islamabad will try to create one hurdle or the other in the construction of new power projects. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
STOCK UPDATE |
|
|
 |
| BSE
Sensex |
 |
| NSE
Nifty |
|
|
| |
CRICKET UPDATE |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
