ISLAMABAD, Nov 8: The foreign ministry and the Pakistan Commission for Indus Waters will hold consultations next week on the contentious Baglihar hydroelectric project that was inspected by the commission members last month.
“The foreign ministry has requested the commission for a detailed briefing at the foreign office next week,” sources said here on Saturday.
A three-member team of technical experts, led by Pakistan Commissioner for Indus Waters Syed Jamaat Ali Shah, conducted an on-site inspection of the Baglihar dam being constructed on the river Chenab in Jammu and Kashmir.
The formal report prepared by the team confirms that the Baglihar project is being executed in violation of the 1960 bilateral water-sharing treaty. “Now that it has been established that the Baglihar project violates the Indus Waters Treaty we will be holding internal consultations to decide further course of action,” officials said.
The bilateral water-sharing Indus Waters Treaty gives both the countries the third party option in case of a deadlock over any issue.
Article IX of the Treaty provides for settling disputes through neutral experts or arbitration if they cannot be resolved between the two commissioners. Under the treaty either party can seek World Bank’s intervention.
The World Bank brokered the treaty and also stands as its guarantor.
Pakistan is likely to approach the World Bank for appointment of neutral experts to resolve the dispute, sources said.
At the heart of the dispute is the design of India’s Baglihar project, which, according to Pakistan’s case against it, provides for submerged gated spillways, and, therefore, Indian control over Pakistani waters in breach of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty.
These spillways would allow India to increase the storage capacity far beyond what is allowed to India under the treaty.
Pakistan’s main concern is that the structure would provide India the capability to manipulate flow of water to Pakistan’s disadvantage. One serious consequence is that it would arm India with the capability to cause acute water shortages in Pakistan.
Technical experts warn it could deprive Pakistan of up to 8,000 cusecs of water per day.
India has been dragging its feet over the Baglihar issue since May 1999 when Pakistan first objected to its design. It has postponed almost half a dozen times inspection tours of the Baglihar site requested by Pakistan. The treaty authorises both signatories for such inspections.
Also, India has ignored Pakistan’s repeated request to stop work at the project site until the dispute is resolved.
The 450-megawatt Baglihar hydroelectric plant project launched in June 1999 is to begin generation by 2004.