LAHORE: An Indian delegation is set to visit Pakistan on Tuesday for talks over the Pakal Dul and lower Kalnai projects on Chenab River because of which India’s water-holding capacity has increased.
Pakistan considers the Indian projects to be in violation of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT).
According to reports, Indian Water Commissioner P K Saxena will lead the nine-member Indian delegation while Commissioner for Indus Waters Syed Meher Ali Shah will head the Pakistani delegation.
A joint notification is expected to be issued after the talks.
According to reports, construction of the Pakal Dul Dam will allow India to hold 11,000 acre-feet of water over the permissible limit. Authorities in India had planned to hold 88,000 acre-feet of storage capacity on the Chenab River with the dam.
The 1,000-megawatt project is under construction on Chenab’s right bank tributary, the Marusdar River, in the Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir. The lower Kalnai project is being constructed on another tributary of Chenab with a planned capacity to produce 48 megawatts.
The Indus Water Treaty was signed between the two countries in 1960.
Control over Ravi, Sutlej and Beas rivers was given to India while Pakistan was given control over Indus, Chenab and Jhelum rivers.
