Islamabad - After Pakistan’s objection, India has withdrawn the design of 120MW Miyar hydropower project, located across Miyar Nalla in Indian Occupied Kashmir.

A communiqué issued here said that during two-day meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) discussions were held on India’s proposed Miyar, Lower Kalnai and Pakal Dul hydropower projects as well as on matters pertaining to exchange of data and conducting tours and meetings of the PIC.

The 113th Meeting of PIC was held on March 20-21 after a gap of almost two years – last such meeting took place in May 2015 in New Delhi. Water experts from both the countries opened first round of talks here on Monday. The Indian Indus Water Commissioner PK Saxena and Pakistan’s Indus Water Commissioner Mirza Asif Baig led their respective teams.

The long pause occurred after Pakistan’s Indus Waters Commissioner announced the failure of the talks after protracted discussions at commission level in 111th meeting of PIC in Jan-Feb 2015 on the design aspects of Kishanganga and Ratle hydroelectric plants that India is constructing on Kishanganga/ Neelum River (a tributary of Jhelum River) and Chenab River respectively.

Permanent Indus Commission has discussed three ongoing hydroelectric projects on Chenab in held Kashmir including Pakal Dul project (1,000MW), Miyar (120MW) and Lower Kalnai hydropower project (48MW).

According the communiqué India has withdrawn its design of Miyar project, as Pakistan had made objections on it in the previous meetings of the commission. The hydroelectric project is located at Miyar Nalla, a right-bank main tributary of River Chenab.

An official source told The Nation that the project has been under discussion between the two states since 108th PIC meeting.

Pakistan had raised objection on the freeboard of the project as it wanted it to be 1m, and India had agreed to this demand in 111th Meeting of the PIC, the official said.

On the pondage, Pakistan has estimated pondage of the project at 0.28 million m3. According the Pakistan stand the subsequent DSL is at 2842.91 Masl which is 5.68m higher than India’s DSL i.e. 2837.23 masl.

Besides this, Pakistan has proposed a surface gated free-overflow spillway design. In addition, Pakistan has also highlighted an anomaly in India’s spillway design that it can pass the design flood of 832 m3/S with water level 4m below the DSL.

On intake of the project, Pakistan has proposed to adopt a surface intake instead of submerged intake. Surface intake is more treaty compliant and preferable to prevent the coarse sediment ingress into the power tunnel, the official said.

In the discussions on the other two projects, Indian side agreed to reconsider Pakistan’s observations and to respond to those in the next meeting of the Commission.

Pakistan’s prior objections related to pondage and freeboard of Lower Kalnai and freeboard and spillway of Pakal Dul Hydropower projects.

The communiqué further said that Indian side also agreed to tour of inspection for Pakistan’s Indus Commission which is expected to be arranged before August 2017.

During the first day of PIC meeting Pakistan side demanded the Indian commission allow visit to the sites of three controversial hydropower projects located in Occupied Kashmir, but the Indian side declined the demand, saying that the condition in the hydroelectric project area was not conducive for the visits, a source said. However, during second day of the talks they showed their readiness to arrange a visit after the snow melting.

Pakistan side demanded India to provide the outflows from Baglihar and Salal dams (on Chenab river) during flood season to issue flood early warnings. Indian side agreed to consider Pakistan’s request and it is expected that India would start providing the required data starting from the coming flood season.

An official source told The Nation that the project has been under discussion between the two states since 108th PIC meeting.

Pakistan had raised objection on the freeboard of the project as it wanted it to be 1m, and India had agreed to this demand in 111th Meeting of the PIC, the official said.

On the pondage, Pakistan has estimated pondage of the project at 0.28 million m3. According the Pakistan stand the subsequent DSL is at 2842.91 Masl which is 5.68m higher than India’s DSL i.e. 2837.23 masl.

Besides this, Pakistan has proposed a surface gated free-overflow spillway design. In addition, Pakistan has also highlighted an anomaly in India’s spillway design that it can pass the design flood of 832 m3/S with water level 4m below the DSL.

On intake of the project, Pakistan has proposed to adopt a surface intake instead of submerged intake. Surface intake is more treaty compliant and preferable to prevent the coarse sediment ingress into the power tunnel, the official said.

In the discussions on the other two projects, Indian side agreed to reconsider Pakistan’s observations and to respond to those in the next meeting of the Commission.

Pakistan’s prior objections related to pondage and freeboard of Lower Kalnai and freeboard and spillway of Pakal Dul Hydropower projects.

The communiqué further said that Indian side also agreed to tour of inspection for Pakistan’s Indus Commission which is expected to be arranged before August 2017.

During the first day of PIC meeting Pakistan side demanded the Indian commission allow visit to the sites of three controversial hydropower projects located in Occupied Kashmir, but the Indian side declined the demand, saying that the condition in the hydroelectric project area was not conducive for the visits, a source said. However, during second day of the talks they showed their readiness to arrange a visit after the snow melting.

Pakistan side demanded India to provide the outflows from Baglihar and Salal dams (on Chenab river) during flood season to issue flood early warnings. Indian side agreed to consider Pakistan’s request and it is expected that India would start providing the required data starting from the coming flood season.