Pak initiates process to resolve Kishanganga issue with India

Rezaul H Laskar

Islamabad, Oct 9 (PTI) Pakistan has instituted
proceedings in the International Court of Arbitration to
resolve the issue of the Kishanganga dam, which India is
building on the Neelum river in the northern Indian state of
Jammu and Kashmir, a federal minister has said.

Water and Power Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf made the
remarks in the National Assembly or lower house of parliament
Friday on the dispute.
He said the court is likely to take up the matter
soon. India had addressed Pakistan's concerns on a parapet of
the Nimmo Bazgo hydroelectric project on the Indus river but
concerns relating to pondage, spillway and power intake are
yet to be resolved, he said.
Issues involving the construction of the Uri-II
hydroelectric plant by India on the Jhelum river and the
Chutak hydroelectric plant on a tributary of the Indus too
have been resolved by the Permanent Indus Waters Commission,
Ashraf said.
Designs and tender documents for Pakistan's Diamer
Bhasha dam had been completed and the Asian Development Bank
has promised to partly finance the project, he said.
Referring to a news report about the phenomenal rise
in the cost of five small dams, Ashraf said the original plan
stipulated building of dams but the cost had gone up due to
the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council's request for
establishing a sprinkler system for irrigation. PTI RHL
AVT