Ishfaq A Mughal
The prevailing tension between Pakistani and Indian authorities over water dispute can further accelerate now as the Pakistani authorities believe that Indian Kishanganga dam in Indian Occupied Kashmir, will badly impact on power capacity of 969 MW, Neelum-Jhelum hydropower project in Azad Kashmir as India is constructing a tunnel from Neelum River to divert water flow for Kishanganga dam, which is serious voilation of Indus Water Treaty, signed by Pakistan and India in 1962 under the arbitration of World Bank.
Pakistani Commissioner of Indus Water Commission Shiraz Mammon giving briefing to the Senate Standing Committee on Water and Power, said that the Kishanganga dam on Neelum River in Indian Occupied Kashmir is disputed between Pakistan and India, as Pakistan took the matter before Arbitration Court adding that the Arbitration Court heard both Pakistani and Indian viewpoint in 2008. He said that due to rule of the proceeding of the Indus Water Treaty in the Arbitration Court, Pakistan could not take the issue of constructing tunnel for Kishanganga dam constructed by Indian government.
“According to the intelligence report India has completed 15 percent work on 24 kilometer long tunnel to divert water flow from Neelum River for the dam, if India completes the tunnel than our case in arbitration court will be weak”, he admitted.
He said that due to this diversion, the water flow will decline in Neelum River and 1100 MW Neelum Jhelum Hydro Water Project in Azad Kashmir will badly affect.
Mammon informed the committee that India due to Pakistani efforts, India stopped work on Wooller Barrage, while disputes on Uri power project resolved amicably between Pakistan and India.
The Commissioner said that India completed 51 hydel projects on Pakistani Rivers including Chanab, Jhelum and Indus River so far. He said although India did not construct big hydel projects so far but it has a plan to construct big projects on Pakistan Rivers.
The members of the committee expressed deep concerns over the lack of interest of Pakistani government on the important issue.
Senator Mian Raza Rabbani criticized the government for not taking up the issue regarding the construction of tunnel on Neelum River, which is violation of Indus Water Treaty and said that if the government took the issue than the court realized the importance of the case. He said that if India succeeds to construct tunnel than Pakistan will not able to do anything.
Professor Khurshid Ahmed said that India is doing work for divert Pakistani water and Pakistani government is busy in just paper work.
“Why Pakistan did not site visit of Kishanganga dam so that actual position could come before the nation”, he questioned.
It is important to mention that massive delays by Pakistani authorities and increase in the scope have swelled the cost of Neelum Jhelum Hydropower project by almost 98 percent to $2.25 billion from $1.5 billion
This will help Indian authorities to complete the controversial Kishanganga project on the same Neelum River in Indian Held Kashmir.
The Neelum-Jhelum project will now complete by 2018 whereas the completion of Kishanganga project is due in 2016. In case India manages to complete its project earlier, under the existing Indus Water Treaty (IWT), it will clinch the water priority rights of Neelum River. India has done more than 50 percent work on its project.
It is very strange for everyone to know that the Neelum-Jhelum project was first conceived in 1988 when its PC-1 was approved by the Executive Committee of National Economic Council. Then its cost was estimated at $1.5 billion.
Later, its PC-1 was revised with electricity generation capacity of 969 MW.
In 1998, some changes were introduced in its detailed design and accordingly PC-1 was again revised.
In 2003, the contractors developed some dispute with the government owing to which this project once again got delayed.
The 2005 earthquake further delayed the project. A panel of experts revisited the detailed design of the project after the quake and completely changed it besides increasing the project’s scope.
In 2008, a joint venture of Chinese companies mobilized its staff and machinery on the site of the project. With a view to expedite the Neelm-Jhelum project, it was decided that the Chinese companies involved in the project be allowed to purchase tunnel boring machine, which can help Pakistan build the project by 2016.
The prevailing tension between Pakistani and Indian authorities over water dispute can further accelerate now as the Pakistani authorities believe that Indian Kishanganga dam in Indian Occupied Kashmir, will badly impact on power capacity of 969 MW, Neelum-Jhelum hydropower project in Azad Kashmir as India is constructing a tunnel from Neelum River to divert water flow for Kishanganga dam, which is serious voilation of Indus Water Treaty, signed by Pakistan and India in 1962 under the arbitration of World Bank.
Pakistani Commissioner of Indus Water Commission Shiraz Mammon giving briefing to the Senate Standing Committee on Water and Power, said that the Kishanganga dam on Neelum River in Indian Occupied Kashmir is disputed between Pakistan and India, as Pakistan took the matter before Arbitration Court adding that the Arbitration Court heard both Pakistani and Indian viewpoint in 2008. He said that due to rule of the proceeding of the Indus Water Treaty in the Arbitration Court, Pakistan could not take the issue of constructing tunnel for Kishanganga dam constructed by Indian government.
“According to the intelligence report India has completed 15 percent work on 24 kilometer long tunnel to divert water flow from Neelum River for the dam, if India completes the tunnel than our case in arbitration court will be weak”, he admitted.
He said that due to this diversion, the water flow will decline in Neelum River and 1100 MW Neelum Jhelum Hydro Water Project in Azad Kashmir will badly affect.
Mammon informed the committee that India due to Pakistani efforts, India stopped work on Wooller Barrage, while disputes on Uri power project resolved amicably between Pakistan and India.
The Commissioner said that India completed 51 hydel projects on Pakistani Rivers including Chanab, Jhelum and Indus River so far. He said although India did not construct big hydel projects so far but it has a plan to construct big projects on Pakistan Rivers.
The members of the committee expressed deep concerns over the lack of interest of Pakistani government on the important issue.
Senator Mian Raza Rabbani criticized the government for not taking up the issue regarding the construction of tunnel on Neelum River, which is violation of Indus Water Treaty and said that if the government took the issue than the court realized the importance of the case. He said that if India succeeds to construct tunnel than Pakistan will not able to do anything.
Professor Khurshid Ahmed said that India is doing work for divert Pakistani water and Pakistani government is busy in just paper work.
“Why Pakistan did not site visit of Kishanganga dam so that actual position could come before the nation”, he questioned.
It is important to mention that massive delays by Pakistani authorities and increase in the scope have swelled the cost of Neelum Jhelum Hydropower project by almost 98 percent to $2.25 billion from $1.5 billion
This will help Indian authorities to complete the controversial Kishanganga project on the same Neelum River in Indian Held Kashmir.
The Neelum-Jhelum project will now complete by 2018 whereas the completion of Kishanganga project is due in 2016. In case India manages to complete its project earlier, under the existing Indus Water Treaty (IWT), it will clinch the water priority rights of Neelum River. India has done more than 50 percent work on its project.
It is very strange for everyone to know that the Neelum-Jhelum project was first conceived in 1988 when its PC-1 was approved by the Executive Committee of National Economic Council. Then its cost was estimated at $1.5 billion.
Later, its PC-1 was revised with electricity generation capacity of 969 MW.
In 1998, some changes were introduced in its detailed design and accordingly PC-1 was again revised.
In 2003, the contractors developed some dispute with the government owing to which this project once again got delayed.
The 2005 earthquake further delayed the project. A panel of experts revisited the detailed design of the project after the quake and completely changed it besides increasing the project’s scope.
In 2008, a joint venture of Chinese companies mobilized its staff and machinery on the site of the project. With a view to expedite the Neelm-Jhelum project, it was decided that the Chinese companies involved in the project be allowed to purchase tunnel boring machine, which can help Pakistan build the project by 2016.
No comments:
Post a Comment