LAHORE, May 30: India has agreed to suspend all construction work on the Kishan Ganga Hydroelectric Project for six months and address Pakistan's reservations before recommencing work
, member of a delegation of the Pakistan Commission for Indus Water, which attended a meeting with its Indian counterparts, told Dawn here on Sunday.
The delegation returned from India on Saturday night after a routine visit. The Indian side told the meeting that it was working on the foundation of the dam and the power house.
The Pakistani side protested and said that construction work should not have begun before removing its objections. The Indian side agreed and promised to freeze all work at the site for six months and hold a meeting with Pakistan for removing its objections.
Pakistan objects to the dam saying that India is trying to divert the waters of the Neelum River, known as Kishan Ganga in India, to the Wullar Barrage on the Jhelum River which, under the Indus Basin Treaty, it cannot do. India is building project on the Neelum, which originates in the Himalayas and enters Pakistan from Domail.
In addition to stopping work on Kishan Ganga, India also agreed to unconditionally transfer flood data to Pakistan. However, it is still not willing to transmit the inflow and water level data of the Bhakra and Pong dams on the Sutlej and Beas rivers to Pakistan.
Both sides, the delegation member said, decided to inspect an embankment constructed by India near Narowal on the Ravi River. As per Pakistan's point of view, due to construction of the embankment, flood water would cause havoc in adjoining areas of Pakistan.
Sources said that India also raised the issue of the Baghliar Dam despite Pakistan's position that controversy on this issue could only be solved through a third party as India had failed to address Pakistan's concerns.
But, after insistence from the Indian side that the matter should be solved bilaterally, Pakistan asked it to stop the construction of the dam first and then sit across the table to find out a solution.
The Indian side agreed to get back to Pakistan after necessary consultations. Both sides finalized the annual report on the treaty which will be presented to both governments.
The Pakistan delegation was led by Commissioner Syed Jamaat Ali Shah and included M. Mushtaq Chaudhry, general manager, Wapda; Baqir Ali Rana of the Ministry of Law; Abdul Salaam Khan, Irrigation Secretary, Balochistan; M.H. Siddiqui, Consultant Punjab Irrigation Department; Bashir Ahmad Qureshi, general manager, Nespak; Shaukat Ali Awan of the Met Office and Tahir Wasim, deputy commissioner.
