Arbitration court set to deliver final verdict on Kishenganga

An international arbitration court is set to deliver its final verdict on the Indo-Pak dispute on Kishenganga power project after the two countries submitted hydrological data which will help the judges determine the minimum flow India will have to maintain in the river.
In February, the international court at The Hague had upheld India's right to divert water for the power plant, but said New Delhi is bound to maintain a minimum flow of water to protect the agricultural interests of Pakistan.
Pakistan has claimed that the 330 mw project in Jammu and Kashmir would rob it of 15 per cent of its share of river waters. It also accused India of trying to divert the river in order to harm Pakistan's Neelum-Jhelum hydro-electric project.

On May 17, 2010, Pakistan had moved for arbitration against India under the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty 1960.
Highly-placed sources in the government said here that both India and Pakistan have submitted the data as demanded by the court headed by judge Stephen M Schwebel.
The two countries were to submit their data by June 19. But as Pakistan had demanded two days' extension, India was also granted the same.

India submitted its data late on Friday night.
"Having concluded that the Treaty requires the preservation of a minimum flow of water downstream of the KHEP (Kishenganga HydroElectric Project), the Court determined that the data provided by the parties are insufficient to allow it to decide the precise amount of flow to be preserved. The Court therefore deferred its determination of the appropriate minimum flow to a Final Award," a statement issued by the court of arbitration had said after its partial award was announced.

The court had directed India to provide figures on power generation at KHEP and environmental concerns from the dam site at Gurez to the Line of Control.