ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan delegation, which held talks with Indian experts in New Delhi over the use of rivers flowing from India into East Pakistan, has recommended to the Governments of India and Pakistan to deal with the problem now (at the Ministerial level) for finding a mutually beneficial solution [May 27].

In a joint communique, issued on conclusion of the two weeks of talks in Delhi and circulated here, the delegation made the recommendation because it said sufficient data was now available and because the matter had assumed urgency.

The Indian delegation, however, insisted that there were still gaps in the information and studies relating to projects discussed and suggested further meetings of experts to complete the data.

The communique, which took several days to finalise, did not mention the other main Pakistani contention — also rejected by India — that a third-party mediator like the World Bank should be brought in to settle the dispute over Farakka.

Mr K.P. Mathrani, Secretary in the Ministry of Irrigation and Power, said that no agreement on any major issues had come from the protracted talks.

Mr Mathrani said India had given Pakistan further technical data on Farakka — designed to divert 40,000 to 46,000 cubic feet of water per second from the Ganges into the Hooghly to flush away silt clogging Calcutta port which completely established that East Pakistan’s water resources position would not be adversely affected.

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2018