Pak objects to four more Indian hydropower projects over Indus Waters Treaty violation

Pakistan has raised objections to four new hydropower projects of India to be built on western rivers in violation of the Indus Waters Treaty.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed the National Assembly that India is working on six hydropower projects of 1,716MW capacity on western rivers, including Jhelum, Chenab and Indus, which were assigned to Pakistan under the World Bank-sponsored treaty, Dawn News reports.

According to the report, the two nations have been involved in a dispute from a long time over 10 such violations of the 1960 treaty by India.

Pakistan has taken up two major cases with the International Court of Arbitration over Baglihar and Kishenganga hydropower projects, the report added.

The announcement comes two days ahead of a scheduled meeting between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Dr Manmohan Singh in New York.

The new controversial projects, includes Ratle Hydroelectric Plant (48MW), Miyar (120MW), Lower Kalnai (48MW) and Pakul Dul (1000MW to be increased to 1,500MW).

The statement said Pakistan was seeking an amicable resolution of the issues at the level of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC), but India never provided information about its projects at the planning stage, which was a mandate under the Indus Water Treaty.

The government has pointed out three categories of violations in five major cases which included: not following the design criteria given in the treaty in case of Baglihar and Kishenganga, constructing projects without informing Pakistan in case of Chutak on the Suru tributary of Indus, and thirdly, not following operational provisions in case of filling of Baglihar dam.