News
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Pakistan, India close to deal on 2 power projects
* Jamaat Ali Shah says consensus evolved on 250-MW Uri-II power project coming up on River Jehlum
* Both sides expected to find a solution to controversial Chutak hydroelectric projectBy Iftikhar Gilani
NEW DELHI: India and Pakistan are close to an agreement on two power projects coming up in Indian-held Kashmir, which have been a major bone of contention between the two countries over the past two years.
Confirming that a consensus had evolved on the 250 megawatts Uri-II power project on Jehlum River, Pakistan Indus Commissioner Jamaat Ali Shah told Daily Times that the issue was dealt with in the “spirit of cooperation and as a gesture of goodwill”.
Solution: As the 105th meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission led by respective Indus commissioners is underway in New Delhi, both sides expect to find a solution to another irritant, the 44MW Chutak hydroelectric project on river Suru (a tributary of Indus) in Kargil district, before they conclude discussions on Wednesday.
India has agreed to permit the Pakistani Commission to undertake two tour inspections to Leh and Kargil in the first week of August.
Further, they also agreed to meet again in July in Lahore.
Commenting on the commission meeting, Jamaat Ali Shah said it was an annual feature to prepare annual reports for the governments. “We also agreed on modalities to exchange advance information on floods and river water flow. We need this information from India to activate our flood information system to save property and lives back in Pakistan,” he added.
Following massive floods in Pakistan in 1988, both countries signed an agreement in 1989 to set up an elaborate arrangement for exchanging flood information beyond the Indus Water Treaty.
“We think this cooperation is working very well. But that has to be renewed every year as user agencies need additional information,” Shah said.
He said the commission on Monday discussed in detail the controversial power projects – the Uri-II, Chutak and the 45MW Nimoo Bazgo, located about 70 kilometres from Leh in Ladakh region – and Pakistan’s objections to these projects.
Shah said they got enough information about the design of Uri-II. “Therefore, a consensus was developed on the basis of information provided by India at the meeting. We have agreed to its design now,” Shah said.
He, however, asked India to reciprocate the gesture and goodwill by providing advance and timely information on projects. “We don’t want to slow down India’s quest for power and development. But we are concerned that they provide us information and design projects as per the Indus Water Treaty (IWT). So far our experience is India is too slow in generating and passing on information, which cause unnecessary delays and problems,” the Pakistani commissioner added.
There is a possibility of an agreement on Chutak power project as well, as Shah said they were awaiting some crucial information that India had assured to table in a day. He said his side expected a consensus on the technical aspect of this project as well. However, on Nimoo Bazgo, he said India was yet to allay our objections.
Shah further said he raised the issue of avoiding the recurrence of the incidences like the Baglihar dam filling.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk