A nine-member Indian delegations arrived in the city on Tuesday to discuss construction of two Indian power projects under the Indus Water Treaty. The delegation arrived via Wagah Border led by Indian Water Commissioner P K Saxena. It was received by Acting Pakistan Indus Water Commissioner Mehar Ali Shah and other high officials.
The two-day moot will focus on Indian hydropower projects at Lower Kalnai and Pakal Dul which will have installed capacity of 48 and 1,000 megawatts, respectively. As a result of these projects, India will be able to control 108,000 acre-feet of water from river Chenab.
The first session of talks will start today on two controversial hydropower projects being built by India in Occupied Kashmir. During the talks, Pakistan will reiterate her serious objections over construction of 1000-MW Pakal Dul and 48-MW Lower Kalnai hydroelectric projects by India on two different tributaries of River Chenab.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Indian delegation was first expected to visit Pakistan in July but due to general elections in Pakistan the meeting was put off. It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan had voiced strong over Pakal Dul, Lower Kalnai, and Ratle hydroelectricity projects currently under construction in Indian Occupied Kashmir on tributaries of the Chenab River. Pakistan contends that the design of the projects violates the provisions of Indus water Treaty.
Under the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty brokered by the World Bank in 1960, water from the Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers had been allocated to India while water from the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab rivers had been allocated to Pakistan.
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