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Pakistan seeks internationalarbitration on Kishengang project | India earmarks Rs.30 crores for legal battle | | EARLY TIMES REPORT Jammu, Aug 8 : For Pakistan it is either Kashmir issue or water scarcity caused by the violation of the 1960 Indus Water Treaty.Invariably Islamabad uses both the water and the Kashmir issues to needle Delhi to the extent of causing economic bleed. The latest instance is Pakistan's charge against India of violating the Indus Water Treaty by constructing 330 MW Kishenganga power projectt in Gurez valley in north Kashmir.Since Pakistan decided to go in for international arbitration as is provided in the Treaty in case of some conflict India had no other alternative but to earmark over Rs.30 crores for meeting fees of the arbitrators,umpires and experts for proceedings of court Arbitration on Kishenganga hydel project.Since under the provisions of the treaty sufficient funds are to be kept at the disposal of Indus Water Commissioners to meet the initial expenditure Delhi had already envisagd the development. Accordingly when the supplementary demands were passed by the Lok Sabha last week it had kept Rs.30 crores for meeting the cost of the legal battle. Even though India has not accepted Pakistan's plea of violation of the Treaty still Delhi wanted the establishments in the two countries to sort out the issue amicably without going in for costly arbitration.But Pakistan seems to be determined to drag the case so that the construction and completion of the 330 MW hydel power project was delayed in the same way Bhaglihar phase I was delayed. Both India and Pakistan have now left it to the Secretary General United Nations,Rector Imperial College of Science and technology,London,and Lord Justice of England to decide on the three umpires including the chairman to set up the court foreR settling the matter. Islamabad has not be open to reason because invariably it holds India responsible for squeezing the flow of water of the Indus,the Jehlum and the Chenab into Pakistan.repeatedly the Indian side has explained to the visiting members of the Pakistan Indus Water Commission that the flow of these rivers would drop during the lean winter months because of poor water level.The Pakistani team would be explained that the daily power generation from projects built on Jehlum Chenab and the Indus during the lean period would be 25 to 40 per cent of the optimum capacity.Still Isdlamabad would not be prepared to settle the water issue through dialogue. And whenever the two sides get engaged in talks Pakistan usually brushes aside India's bid to discuss water,terrorism,security,Siachen etc because the latter wants the talks to be only Kashmir centric.Discussion on alleged violation of Indus Water Treaty is not usually encouraged by Islamabad because it knows its case is weak.This was amply demonstrated when Pakistan took the case of construction of Bhaglihar Phase I for international arbitration.The arbitrator a swiss engineer upheld India's stand and simply recommended slight modification of the design of the project as far as the height of the dam was concerned which India willingly agreed resulting in the commissioning of the 450MW project three years ago. What an irony of fate? Pakistan has been clamouring over restrained flow of water from Jehlum,Indus and Chenab.And this time the floods in the Indus,Jehlum and Chenab have inundated large areas of Pakistan and occupied Kashmir resulting in death of over 900 people and devastation to crops and houses.It is time Islamabad stopped giving pin pricks to Delhi by raising the bogey of violation of Indus Water Treaty It should be thankful to India for having signed the treaty in 1960 which has allowed Pakistan to go in for construction of 989 MW Neelam power project.The Chinese experts and engineers are helping Pakistan in the const ruction of this project.Possibly Pakistan wants full flow of water from the Indus,Jehlum and Chenab so that the Neelam project,when completed ,could generate electricity to its optimum capacity.(eom) |
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