Water commission report’s draft exchanged: Meeting on Kishanganga today
NEW DELHI, May 31: India and Pakistan on Tuesday exchanged the draft of annual report of the Indus Water Commission for 2004-05 and decided to hold an exclusive meeting on Kishanganga Storage and Power Project on Wednesday. At the 95th meeting of the commission, both sides held threadbare discussions on the annual report of the commission for the year ending on March 31, which after signing would be submitted to the respective governments.
Talking to APP after the meeting, Pakistan’s representative on the Commissioner Syed Jamait Ali Shah said Kishan Ganga Storage Project in held Kashmir on river Neelum was also flagged in the meeting and it was agreed that an exclusive meeting of the commission (96th) on the issue would be held on June 1. He said the annual report of the commission, which includes the number of meetings, tours, objective of the visits and their status by March 31, would be presented to the respective governments.
Pakistan side was headed by Pakistan’s Indus Water Commissioner Syed Jamait Ali Shah, while the Indian side was led by Indus Water Commissioner D. K. Mehta. Pakistan’s Indus Water Commissioner, who is leading a seven-member delegation said another important item of the agenda discussed at the meeting was an advance information by India about the flows of rivers during the coming monsoon.
It was agreed that India would supply advance information and data through telephone, Radio Jammu Broadcast and telegrams from July 1 this year to October 10, 2006 and inform about flood discharges and base flows of the rivers, he added. Arrangements will be made as per last year for the supply of such information, Mr Shah said, adding that this comprehensive information is helpful in Pakistan in order to issue early warning by the authorities concerned for timely evacuation of life and property in case of expected flood.
He said it was also decided that there would be two general inspection tours of the sites besides additional an inspection tour on the request of the either commission to discuss the issues which might crop up by March 31 next. In response to a question, he said the issue of River Training Works constructed by India along Ravi was also deliberated upon in the meeting.
Pakistan’s Water Commissioner said that it was agreed that India would provide information about these works which, he added are in violation of the Indus Water Treaty and India would facilitate visit of the site.—APP
