India stored 200,000 acre-feet of water in Baglihar: minister: Daily Times

* Outstanding payments to IPPs amount to Rs 100bn, Pervez Ashraf tells NA

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: India had stored 200,000 acre-feet of water for the initial filling of the Baglihar Hydroelectric Plant during August and September 2008 – about 130th of the average inflow of the River Chenab – and the move affected agricultural crops especially rice, the National Assembly was told on Saturday.

In a written response to a question by Sabeen Rizvi, Water and Power Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf said the Pakistan commissioner for Indus waters took up the matter seriously as India had violated the Indus Water Treaty. He said that India began filling the Baglihar Dam without informing Pakistan and inflow in Chenab was reduced to less than the minimum requirement of 55,000 cusecs.

In another written response to a question posed by Marvi Memon, the minister said the outstanding payments to independent power producers (IPPs) amounted to Rs 100 billion and that had caused a shortage of 1,366 megawatts of power.

For more on this article, please click on the following link: India stored 200,000 acre-feet of water in Baglihar: minister: Daily Times

Pakistan to go to WB for water compensation from India: Pakistan Link

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will go to the World Bank (WB) to seek compensation from India for reduced water flow in the Chenab River and design defects in Baglihar Dam, Indus Water Commissioner Jamaat Ali Shah said on Wednesday. Shah reiterated that Pakistan had demanded water, not monetary compensation, from India for the losses incurred due to decreased water flow in the Chenab. He said both countries had exchanged data about the water flow in the Chenab River during his recent visit to India, but India had objected to the data compiled by Pakistan and asked for a visit to Marala Headworks for inspecting the water flow. The commissioner said Pakistan has authorised India to visit Marala, adding that a demand for compensation for the water losses and an assurance of honouring the Indus Water Treaty in the future has also been put up.

For more on this article, please click on the following link: Pakistan to go to WB for water compensation from India: Pakistan Link