Pak muddies waters: dont build any power plant in J038;K

Sources said this message came for Pakistan in a non-paper during the Foreign Secretary-level talks a fortnight ago.

The non-paper comes after Islamabads objections to the Kishenganga hydro-electric project and its earlier effort to scuttle the Baglihar project which the World Bank-appointed neutral observer settled in Indias favour in 2007.

It may be noted that this was done in accordance with the dispute-resolution mechanism spelt out in the Indus Waters Treaty. In fact,Pakistans documented set of concerns in the recently concluded talks do not go beyond regular complaints about delays in sharing data.

Still,the issue,which has now turned into an anti-India campaign championed by none other than the likes of Hafiz Mohammed Saeed and leaders of the banned Jamaat-ud- Dawa prompted the Pak government to make specific suggestions. The key ones:

Full and timely communication of design information and data by India to Pakistan on new power-generation plants and irrigation works on western rivers.

New Delhi has provided information on all 33 hydro-power projects on western rivers Chenab,Jhelum and Indus. As for irrigation,India has underutilized its rights using water to irrigate just about 0.8 million acres as against the permissible limit of about 1.35 million acres.

Officials say India can build as many as run-of-the river hydro-power projects and needs to provide information six months before work begins.

Communication of data of all existing Gamp;D gauges and discharges stations including the data of flow at the newly constructed,under construction and planned plants/works. Officials say India is sharing data with Pakistan every month. In fact,at the time of FS talks,India had already shared data until October 2009. India has also not build any storage on western rivers so far despite that fact that the treaty allows India to do so.

No construction of power generation works may be undertaken on western rivers until objections are amicable resolved by the two countries

Officials feel Pakistan has used provisions under the Indus Treaty to seek information for endlessly delaying the projects. They point out that India has suffered as it has been able to harness only about 2324 MW as against the estimated potential of 18,653 MW from 106 schemes on these rivers.

Joint watershed management and joint commissioning of environmental studies to address environmental concerns including deforestation,water pollution and climate change

Indian officials feel New Delhi remains concerned about these issues on its own does not need Pakistan to intervene.

Cooperation in resolution of issues relating to Wullar Barrage Storage Project,Kishanganga Hydroelectric Plant,reported construction of new plants such as Chutak and construcion of storage sites as well as issue relating to reduction of water flow Pakistan contests the project on Wullar as a storage project with a barrage but Indian officials maintain that its a control structure for regulated release,which is permitted under the Treaty,and not a storage project. Both countries are still negotiating.

As for Kishanganga,India says it has already revised its project to be a run-of-the river,which is allowed under the Treaty.

Pakistan objects to this project saying that it has existing uses of the water of Kishanganga river,called Neelum in Pakistan. But Islamabad has so far not given details of its existing usage to substantiate its claims.

Incidentally,Pakistan has not built any storage projects on its western rivers Indus,Jhelum and Chenab,which account for an average water flow of 135 million acre feet this despite the fact that the treaty allows India to utilise 3.6 million acre feet for storage projects. In contrast,of the 33 million acre feet of unrestricted use of water from the eastern rivers,Ravi,Beas and Sutlej,India has not been able to harness the entire potential leaving 3 million acre feet water flowing into Pakistan.