India, Pak to hold talks on Barrage dispute

New Delhi, Aug 30: India and Pakistan will hold talks on Wullar Barrage/Tulbul navigation project dispute with an aim to resolve the 22-year-old issue over construction of a dam on Jhelum River in Jammu and Kashmir.

The two-day Secretary level talks are being held as part of fourth round of the Composite Dialogue between the two countries.

While Indian side will be headed by Water Resources Secretary Gauri Chatterji, Water and Power Secretary Ismail Qureshi will lead the Pakistani delegation.

The dispute emerged in 1984 after India planned to build a barrage at the mouth of the Wullar Lake, where it meets the Jhelum River in Jammu and Kashmir, with a storage capacity of 300,000 acres feet.

Pakistan maintained that the project violated its rights as a lower riparian country granted by the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty that governs sharing of common river waters.

However, India says the barrage is aimed at facilitating navigation between Baramullah and Wullar and did not violate the treaty.

Islamabad fears the barrage could interfere with the flow of Jhelum river water into Pakistan and adversely affect its agro-based economy. India insists that the barrage would not hinder water flow into Pakistan.

According to the Indus Water treaty signed in 1960, India has rights over the waters of the Ravi, Sutlej and Beas rivers while Pakistan has rights over the waters of the Indus, the Chenab and the Jhelum.

India began construction work on the project but halted it in 1986 following objections from Pakistan.

The Wullar barrage, if completed, will be 439 feet long and 40 feet wide with maximum storage capacity of 300,000 (0.30 million) acres feet of water.

Wullar Barrage/Tulbul navigation project is one of the eight issues being discussed under the Pakistan-India Composite Dialogue process.

ANI
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