ICA allows India to construct Kishanganga Dam

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The International Court of Arbitration (ICA) has allowed India to build Kishanganga Dam in the occupied Kashmir, however, it has been ordered to provide half of the dam’s water to Pakistan.
Pakistan has received the verdict of ICA over Kishanganga Hydroelectric project case. The court also ruled that India can not take the water on a very low level in the dam.
Pakistan had objected to the construction of the Kishanganga project, which is called Neelum River in Pakistan.
India’s 330MW Kishanganga hydroelectric project would affect Pakistan’s 969MW Neelum-Jhelum hydroelectric project.
The International Court of Arbitration (ICA) announced its verdict on
Kishanganga hydroelectric project after nine months.
Pakistan had objected on the design of the dam and approached the ICA arguing that the Indian government had been violating Indus Water Treaty 1960.
According to Pakistani officials, the construction of the Kishanganga project by India in Jammu and Kashmir would result in 14 percent decrease in the flow of water for Pakistan’s Neelum-Jhelum hydroelectric project.
The officials said that the Indian project would reduce energy generation of Pakistan’s hydroelectric project by 13 percent or 700 million units.
The gross capacity of the reservoir is 18.80 million cubic metres or 14,900 acre feet with dead storage of 8,755 acre feet.
The dispute was on the design and operations of the dam, which Pakistan said were in violation of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT). Pakistan had also submitted facts and figures regarding water flow in the court.
During case proceedings, Indus Water Commissioner Asif Baig and international lawyers including James Crawford and Simpson Woodsworth presented their arguments.
They were of the view that diversion of Kishanganga near Bandipurah area in Occupied Kashmir and installation of power house gates on lower level was violation of Indus Water Treaty and demanded that the project should be closed or its design must be changed.
They told the court that this project would affect 30 percent production of Pakistan’s Neelum-Jhelum power house and cause shortage of 2,000 cusecs of water in Neelum Valley.
Meanwhile, the International Court of Arbitration (ICA) has allowed India to build 330MW Kishanganga hydroelectric project in the Occupied Kashmir, however, the neighbouring country has been ordered to provide half of the dam’s water to Pakistan.
The court also ruled that India can not take the water on a very low level in the dam.
In 2010, Pakistan protested to the altered design and took up the issue with the World Bank. A seven-member team, appointed by the UN secretary-general, after surveying the site and listening to the arguments of both Pakistan and India finally decided to settle the dispute.
The first hearing was held at The Hague on January 14, 2011 when it was decided that Pakistan would submit its case to the ICA in May, 2011. In September 2012, the ICA in its interim decision had restricted India from any permanent work on the Kishanganga project.

4 COMMENTS

  1. Anybody can offer 50% increment in water supply even India build this project. As a common citizen of India, Indian people can provide enough water to Pakistan at 25% less cost which the Pakistan expends on water.

    • How about Pakistan providing India water at 25% less cost while expanding operations of construction on indian waters.. I bet you would scratch your mindless head at that!!!

  2. In a major victory for India the nternational Court of Arbitration has rejected Pakistan’s objections by upholding New Delhi’s right to divert water from the Kishenganga river for power generation in Jammu and Kashmir.
    In its final award on the India-Pakistan arbitration case, the court also decided that India shall release a minimum flow of nine cumecs (cubic meters per second) into the Kishenganga/Neelum river below the Kishenganga hydro-electric project (KHEP) at “all times.”
    It had also held that India was free to divert water from the Kishenganga/Neelum River for power generation.

    • I bet india will not exist in future… Nations who thrive on tyrrany get trampled by the axe of time. This decision will be overturned otherwiswe India will be destroyed as well… and this dam definitely will be… Sanam ham to doobein ge magar tum ko le kar doobein ge…

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