Pakistan team to visit Baglihar dam on Monday

Srinagar, Oct 19 : A high-level official team from Pakistan will visit Baglihar dam tomorrow for an on-the-spot assessment of the water level in Chenab river.

The team will also inspect water storage in the Baglihar dam, besides the water flow in the river.

Pakistan has blamed India for blocking River Chenab's flow in order to fill the Baglihar dam on the occasion of its inauguration.

Indus Water Commissioner Jamaat Ali Shah, who arrived here on Saturday, is leading the delegation.

During their two-day visit, Shah is also scheduled to meet his Indian counterpart G Ranganathan on the issue of Chenab river water sharing and other related subjects. The Pakistani delegation's visit to Chenab and the bilateral talks have been warranted by Islamabad's allegation that India had stopped the flow of water from the river for construction of Baglihar power project in Jammu and Kashmir.

According to sources, India had blocked another 9,000 cusecs water, storing it in the Baglihar Dam. They said India had released just 10,739 cusecs at the Marala Head Works without giving any prior notice, which was in violation of the Indus Waters Treaty 1960.

In their meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had assured President Asif Ali Zardari that New Delhi would not violate the treaty, but another violation has surfaced in less than a fortnight.

Since flows are reduced in the Chenab River, Pakistan received 19,351 cusecs on Thursday, which was reduced to just 10,739 cusecs on Saturday.

The Chenab water has been blocked despite the fact that the Indian authorities are going to allow an inspection of the Baglihar project and to also hold a meeting of the permanent Indus Waters Commission from October 18-24.

ANI