Pak team inspects Salal hydro power project in Reasi

The three-member panel, which was allowed to conduct the inspection to dispel any apprehensions about violation of provisions of Indus Water Treaty (IWT), had earlier surveyed the artificial lake project on river Tawi in Jammu city and surveyed the main heads of Ranbir and Partap canals over Chenab besides Munawar Tawi river in Jammu district.

The team led by the Commissioner of Pakistan for Indus Water Treaty (IWT), Sheraj Jameel Menon, and his Indian counterpart G Rangarajan drove to JoytiPorum in Reasi district, 64 kms from here.

The panel conducted survey of the 420 MW Salal Project, its dam, water discharge and water storage setup, official sources said.

They held discussion with officials of Salal Project on various aspects of the dam and discharge and storage of water from the project, they said.

They raised a point of less discharge of water from the dam, to which the Indian officials explained that water level in River Chenab decreases during winters.

The water level increases during summer due to melting of snow in upper reaches of Kishtwar and Himachal Pradesh.

The Pakistani panel yesterday inspected main heads of Ranbir and Partap canals over river Chenab at Akhnoor and later survey Muawar Tawi in Jodian border belt of district.
Ranbir and Partap canals were built during erstwhile Dogra rule in 1880 for irrigation in Jammu district.

Memon, who was accompanied by members Simran Fazal Cheema and Faisal Qazi, had inspected the under-construction mega artificial lake in Tawi river in Jammu yesterday and had called for evidence from Jammu and Kashmir government that the project did not violate Indus Water Treaty (IWT).

Jammu and Kashmi government is constructing the two kilometre long artificial lake by setting up check dam on River Tawi at Jammu winter capital for promotion of tourism and providing water supply to dry areas in Jammu.

The visit by the Indus Water Commission team from Pakistan will help dispel any apprehensions about violation of provisions of Indus Water Treaty (IWT),a senior official of Public Health Engineering (PHE) and Irrigation said.

The IWT is a water-sharing treaty between India and Pakistan, brokered by World Bank. The treaty was signed in Karachi on September 19, 1960 by the first prime minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Pakistan President Muhammad Ayub Khan.

According to the agreement, a commission was set up to adjudicate any disputes arising over allocation of river waters.