High-level concludes 4-day inspection visit to Kishanganga

Srinagar:  A high level team comprising members from Court of Arbitration and authorities of Water Commissions from India and Pakistan Monday concluded four-day inspection visit to Kishanganga power project in Bandipora district of north Kashmir.While Indus Water commissioner G. Aranganathan led the ten-member Indian component, his Pakistan counterpart, Sheraz Jamil Memon guided nine-member complement of his country in the arbitration team.  “The team concluded visit today,” Deputy Commissioner, Bandipora Manzoor Ahmad Lone told.“Since their visit was exclusively inspective in nature, they did not interact with anyone here,” he added. During the four-day visit, the 29-member delegation visited the site of the 330-MW power project in Gurez sector near the Line of Control. Besides holding a detailed review meeting about the project, the team also inspected the Power House, Head Race Tunnel, storage facility, ventilation tunnel and pressure shaft of the project. Pakistan had knocked the doors of the Court on May 27 this year against 330 megawatt power and storage project, reportedly raising objections in the appeal regarding “diversion and change of sub-basin” of the Kishanganga River from Gurez to project dam site in Bandipora. The Kishenganga River is called Neelam after it passes into Pakistan-administered part of divided Kashmir from Gurez sub-division in Bandipora.The objection to the construction of the project has been raised by Pakistan under the terms and conditions of the Indus Water Treaty signed by the two countries in 1960.According to the treaty, India can construct only run-of-the-river hydro power projects on those rivers of Jammu and Kashmir which finally flow into Pakistan.The treaty says that no water storage dams for hydro power generation or irrigation beyond a certain height can be constructed by India on rivers in Jammu and Kashmir.