Date:26/10/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/10/26/stories/2003102606950800.htm

National

Pak. team sought third-party inspection of Baglihar

By Gargi Parsai

New Delhi Oct. 25. The Pakistan Commission for Indus Waters had recommended to its Government "neutral third-party'' inspection of India's 450 MW Baglihar hydropower project in Jammu and Kashmir even before its Commissioner, Jamait Ali Shah, undertook a trip to India last Sunday for inspection of the ongoing project in Doda district.

Under the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 between the two countries, any side can unilaterally seek inspection of each other's projects by "neutral technical experts'' for alleged deviations in design. Observers said such recourse mostly exerted pressure and delayed a project.

On Thursday last, before the team returned home, the Pakistani daily, Dawn had quoted Pakistan High Commission officials in New Delhi as having said that the Pakistan Commissioner had alleged "violation'' of the Indus Treaty in the design of the project after inspection.

However, the three-member team, which returned to Pakistan on Thursday, did not raise the issue with the Indian side, sources said. The team had called on the Secretary, Water Resources, A.K. Goswami, on Wednesday after returning from Jammu and Kashmir. Sources, however, did confirm that Mr. Shah had sought third-party inspection of the project even before he arrived in New Delhi.

A member of the Indian delegation said the Pakistani side appeared "satisfied'' with the visit. "They had made a special request for this visit. With this it is hoped that their apprehensions would be resolved amicably.'' India has all along being saying that there is no violation of the Treaty and the issue can be resolved amicably by both the sides without any "third party'' intervention.

However, the Pakistani Indus Commissioner's move seeking a "third party'' inspection now puts the ball in the court of the respective Governments.

Under the Treaty, the waters of Ravi, Beas and Sutlej are allocated to India, while those of the western rivers, Indus, Chenab and Jhelum are largely allocated to Pakistan except for domestic/non-consumptive use, specified agriculture use, hydroelectric power generation and storage of water upto specified quantum by India. The World Bank had facilitated the Treaty and then withdrawn.