A nine-member delegation arrived in Lahore on Tuesday to hold two-day talks over the water issue with Pakistani authorities.
The Indian delegation, headed by Indian Water Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Saxena, arrived through Wagah border crossing.
The Pakistani delegation would be headed by Pakistan Commissioner for Indus Water Syed Meher Ali Shah.
The delegation arrived after Pakistan raised objections to Indian water projects on River Chenab.
Pakistan is of the view that India has violated the Indus Water Treaty by starting construction of reservoirs at a time when the country is reeling from severe water shortage. According to reports, the Indian delegation was initially supposed to visit Pakistan in July, however, due to elections in the country, the meeting was postponed.
With the new government in Pakistan, the two countries will once again revisit the long-standing water issue and try to find a solution to it. According to sources, Pakistan will raise its concern over the design of two controversial under-construction hydroelectric projects of India in Chenab basin, namely Pakal Dul (1000MW) and Lower Kalnai (48MW), and press India to either modify the designs to make them compliant to the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty or put the projects on hold until Delhi satisfies Islamabad.
Pakal Dul Dam is a reservoir-based scheme currently under construction on River Marusudar, while 48MW Lower Kalnai project is on another tributary of the river.
Published in Daily Times, August 29th 2018.
