Pakistan approaches World Bank over India completing Kishanganga project
Pakistan has informed the World Bank about India completing the Kishanganga hydropower project during the bank's "pause" period and also urged it to "recognize its responsibility" under the Indus Waters Treaty between the two countries, a media report said today. Pakistan has approached the World Bank as it is the mediator between the two countries of the water distribution treaty. Here are more details.
Pakistan raised concerns over India's five hydroelectricity projects
Pakistan has been flagging concerns over the designs of India's five hydroelectricity projects, Pakal Dul (1000 MW), Ratle (850 MW), Kishanganga (330 MW), Miyar (120 MW), and Lower Kalnai (48 MW), being built/planned in the Indus river basin, contending these violate the treaty.
Pakistan wants India to abide by provisions of 1960 treaty
Pakistan's Power Division of the Energy Ministry sent a fresh communiqué early this week to the World Bank's Vice President urging the international organization to ensure that India abided by the provisions of the 1960 treaty while building the projects. The official said the letter had reached the bank's head office in Washington and had been delivered to its Vice President.
Pakistani delegation was not allowed to visit India's projects
The letter was sent to the World Bank after a Pakistani delegation of the Indus Waters Commission was not allowed to visit various projects in India, including Kishanganga and Ratle plants, it said. Asked about the government's next move, the official said the authorities could not just sit back and had to take the matter to its logical conclusion.
Delhi completed Kishanganga project as per design objected by Islamabad
Pakistan had received reports in August 2017 that Delhi had completed Kishanganga project as per the design that had been objected by Islamabad. However, India asserted the project design is "well within parameters" of the treaty and urged the bank to appoint a neutral expert.
World Bank paused the process of appointing COA or neutral-expert
In December 2016, the bank had announced that it had "paused" the process for either appointing an Attention Representative Certificate of Approval (COA) or a neutral expert. However, it started mediation between the two countries on how to advance and develop consensus in the light of the treaty on the mechanism for resolution of faulty designs of the two projects.
World Bank has arranged two rounds of India-Pakistan talks
Since then, the World Bank has arranged two rounds of talks between the Indian and Pakistan but the Indians kept on building the project, the report alleged. The last round of the bank facilitated and secretary-level talks between India and Pakistan were held in Washington in September last year that ended in disappointment for Pakistan, the report claimed further.
What is provisions under Indus Waters Treaty?
Under the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty, the waters of the eastern rivers the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi had been allocated to India and that of the western rivers the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab to Pakistan except for certain non-consumptive uses.
