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Journalism of Courage
India and Pakistan today began talks on the Tulbul navigation project on the Jhelum in Jammu and Kashmir. Water Secretary J. Harinarayan said talks on the first day were 8216;8216;cordial8217;8217; and 8216;8216;satisfactory8217;8217; but refused to elaborate.
The eight-member Pakistan delegation is headed by Pakistan water and power secretary Ashfaq Mahmood.
Pakistan has been objecting to the project since 1985, saying it violated the provisions of the Indus Water Treaty. In 1987, due to Pakistan8217;s objections, India stopped construction on the project. The two sides do not agree on the naming either 8212; while India calls it the Tulbul Navigation Project, Pakistan refers to it as the Wullar Barrage project. Its reasoning 8212; it is not a navigation lock but a water storage project.
The two-day talks mark the tenth round between India and Pakistan over the project. The last round of talks were held at Islamabad in July 2004 where it was decided that the discussions, that had resumed after a gap of six years, would continue at the next round of talks.
The project, planned by India, comprises the construction of a barrage on the Jhelum, downstream of Wullar Lake near Ningli village and upstream of Sopore town. The aim of the project, India says, is to regulate the release of water from the natural storage of the Wullar Lake to maintain a particular level in the Jhelum from below the lake to Baramulla to ensure year-round navigation from Anantnag to Srinagar to Baramulla.
India says the project will bring additional power generation and irrigation benefits to the area. But Pakistan says the project is for water storage and that all aspects of the project violate the Indus Water Treaty.
