LAHORE: A three-member delegation of experts headed by the Pakistan’s commissioner for Indus Waters Syed Mehr Ali Shah will leave for India today (Sunday) to inspect hydro-power projects at Chenab basin, mainly the 1,000MW Pakal Dul and 48MW Lower Kalnai.

“We are going to India on Sunday (today) via Wahga border where we will reach around 9:30am and enter India around 10am,” Commissioner Mr Shah told Dawn on Saturday.

The general tour for inspection of Indian hydro-power projects by Pakistan experts was finally confirmed by the India’s commissioner for Indus Waters Pradeep Kumar Saxena through a letter during second week of January.

New Delhi has agreed to allow Islamabad to inspect the projects on Chenab basin from Jan 28 to Jan 31.

After completing the tour on January 31, the delegation would return home on Feb 1.

The six-day tour includes four days for inspections and the remaining two (Jan 27 and Feb 1) for travelling.

The tour is not limited to to Pakal Dul and Lower Kalnai alone, as the experts may also visit Ratle and other hydro-power projects.

Earlier, as a result of the 115th meeting of the Permanent Commission for Indus Waters (PCIW) held in Lahore in August last, India had scheduled inspection of the projects by Pakistani experts first in September and then in October.

But, later it postponed the inspections on the pretext of local bodies’ elections in the concerned areas.

Through the letter the Indian authorities clarified that though the tour by Pakistani experts was first scheduled for September and then October, it couldn’t be made possible because of local Panchayat elections in the area and then winter session of the Indian parliament.

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2019