ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Indus Water Commission will highlight the issue of controversial hydropower projects built on the Chenab River by India during the annual meeting of the commission on March 23-24, on Tuesday.
Pakistan Commissioner for Indus Waters (PCIW) Syed Muhammad Mehr Ali Shah informed sources that the Pakistani representatives will depart from for New Delhi on March 22 where the meeting would come about. Shah will chair the Pakistani delegation whereas the Indian side will be headed by PK Saxena.
“Controversial projects of 1000 MW Pakkal Dal and 48 MW Lower Kalnai will be negotiated during the two-day meeting. Pakistan has already raised objections to the design of these projects,” he said, continued that two more water projects -Darbuk and Nemochaling – will also come under discussion.
The top official of the Indus Water Commission told that the issue of delaying flood data will also be highlighted with New Delhi.
“India has been disrupting the Indus Basin contract in providing flood data for 2 years. Pakistan needs daily flood data from July 1 to October 10,” Mehar stated.
The Pakistani delegation will include representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, WAPDA, Meteorology, Attorney General’s Office, and Irrigation Department.
The meeting happened after a hiatus of nearly three years. Previously the meeting was held in Lahore in August 2018. The last year’s meeting, which was earlier scheduled to be held in New Delhi in March 2020, was terminated in the light of the pandemic situation.
Under the provisions of the Indus Water Treaty, both the commissioners are called to meet at least once a year alternately in India and Pakistan.