Date:19/10/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/10/19/stories/2003101903420800.htm

National

Baglihar hydroproject: Pak. team coming today

By Gargi Parsai

NEW DELHI OCT. 18. Pakistan's Commissioner for the Permanent Indus Water Commission is arriving here tomorrow with his team for an inspection of the 450 MW Baglihar hydroproject in Jammu and Kashmir. India has accepted the "special request'' for the visit, being seen as part of the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee's peace initiative with Pakistan. The team would be here till October 23.

The last site inspection was done in the year 2000 along the river Sutlej in India on Pakistan's request. Earlier, the Indian Commissioner for Indus Waters had toured Pakistan in 1998. Commissioners of both countries always do site inspections jointly. This will be the 100th joint inspection.

The visit assumes significance as the Pakistan Indus Commissioner, Jamait Ali Shah, had indicated an intent during the last meeting of the Commission in May here to invoke the "neutral expert'' provision under the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 on the project