Talks with Pak on Indus Waters Treaty inconclusive: World Bank

Washington, May 23

Days after the Kishanganga hydroelectric project was inaugurated in J&K, the World Bank has said it could not reach an agreement with Pakistan to address its concerns regarding the Indus Waters Treaty with India after two days of talks here.

A high-powered Pakistani delegation led by Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf Ali met with World Bank chief executive officer Kristalina Georgieva and other senior officials on Monday and Tuesday.

During the meetings, held on Pakistan’s request to discuss the issues regarding the Indus Waters Treaty and opportunities within it to seek an amicable resolution, the World Bank said “several procedural options” for resolving the disagreement over the interpretation of the treaty’s provisions were discussed. “While an agreement on the way forward was not reached at the conclusion of the meetings, the World Bank will continue to work with both countries to resolve the issues in an amicable manner and in line with the treaty provisions,” the bank said in a statement at the end of the talks. “The delegation of the Pakistan government also shared with the bank their concerns about the recent inauguration of the Kishanganga hydroelectric plant,” the statement said.

Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 330-MW Kishanganga hydroelectric project in J&K. Pakistan had protested the inauguration, claiming that the project on a river flowing into the country would disrupt water supplies. However, the Pakistan Embassy here did not immediately respond to questions related to the World Bank meeting.

“The Indus Waters Treaty is a profoundly important international agreement that provides an essential cooperative framework for India and Pakistan to address current and future challenges of effective water management to meet human needs and achieve development goals,” the bank said. As a signatory to the Indus Waters Treaty, the World Bank’s role is limited and procedural, it noted. “In particular, the role in relation to differences and disputes is limited to the designation of people to fulfil certain roles when requested by either or both parties,” the bank said.

At the conclusion of the talks, the World Bank said it remained committed to “acting in good faith and with complete impartiality and transparency” in fulfilling its responsibilities under the treaty while continuing to assist the two countries.

The World Bank, however, did not respond to a question if it approached India on Pakistan’s allegations.

Islamabad had been raising objections over the design of the 330-MW Kishanganga hydroelectric project, saying it was not in line with the criteria laid down under the Indus Waters Treaty between the two countries. But India says the project design was well within the parameters of the treaty. The project, located at Bandipora in north Kashmir, envisages the diversion of water of Kishanganga to underground power house through a 23.25-km-long head race tunnel to generate 1,713 million units per annum. The Kishanganga project was started in 2007 but on May 17, 2010, Pakistan moved for international arbitration against India under the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty. The Hague-based International Court of Arbitration allowed India in 2013 to go ahead with the construction of the project in north Kashmir and upheld India’s right under the bilateral Indus Waters Treaty to divert waters from the Kishanganga for power generation in J&K.

The international court, however, decided that India shall release a minimum flow of 9 cubic metres per second into the Kishanganga (known as Neelam in Pakistan) at all times to maintain environmental flows. — PTI