A 40-member delegation, including officials from India, Pakistan, and various international experts appointed by the World Bank, has arrived in Kishtwar district, Jammu and Kashmir, to inspect two significant hydroelectric projects under the Indus Water Treaty (IWT). This visit, according to sources of The Chenab Times, marks the first by a Pakistani delegation to Jammu and Kashmir in over five years.
The delegation comprises 12 Indian officials, 10 Pakistani delegation members—5 from Pakistan, 2 from Britain, 1 from the USA, 1 from Australia, and 1 from Canada—and 18 other foreign experts from countries such as Russia, France, South Africa, Denmark, and Kenya. They will spend the next four days inspecting the 850 MW Ratle Project in Drabshalla and the Dool Hasti project. As per reports reached The Chenab Times, this inspection is part of the Neutral Expert proceedings initiated under the IWT.
The Pakistani delegation, led by Syed Ali Murtza, Secretary of Water Resources in Pakistan, includes Syed Mohammed Mehar Ali Shah, Pakistan’s IWT Commissioner. The Indian side is represented by officials from various relevant departments.
Upon arrival at an army camp near Kishtwar, the delegation proceeded to the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) headquarters before heading to the Ratle hydroelectric power project site for dam inspection. They are also set to visit the 1000 MW Pakal Dul hydroelectric project on the Marusudar River, a tributary of the Chenab, during their stay, according to sources from The Chenab Times.
This visit is a critical component of the Neutral Expert proceedings prompted by Pakistan’s 2016 objections to the design features of the Ratle and Kishenganga hydroelectric projects. Initially, Pakistan sought resolution through a Neutral Expert but later opted for adjudication by a Court of Arbitration. India, however, insisted on the Neutral Expert route.
As reported by The Chenab Times, the World Bank appointed both a Neutral Expert and the chair of the Court of Arbitration in October 2022 after negotiations between India and Pakistan failed. In July 2023, the Court of Arbitration ruled that it could consider and determine the disputes brought forth by Pakistan. Following this, Pakistan submitted its first detailed Memorial in March 2024. In response, India submitted its Memorial to the Neutral Expert in August 2023 but chose not to participate in the Court of Arbitration proceedings.
The current visit follows a prior inspection in January 2019, where a smaller Pakistani delegation reviewed the Pakal Dul, Ratle, and Lower Kalnai hydroelectric projects. The Jammu and Kashmir administration has appointed 25 liaison officers to coordinate with the neutral experts and the visiting delegations, The Chenab Times has learned.
The IWT, signed in 1960 after nine years of negotiations, provides a framework for cooperation and information exchange between India and Pakistan regarding the use of waters from several cross-border rivers. The treaty allocates the three western rivers—Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab—to Pakistan, and the three eastern rivers—Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej—to India, with provisions allowing certain uses by each country on the rivers allocated to the other.
The ongoing inspections and dispute resolution efforts underscore the importance of the IWT in maintaining cooperative management of shared water resources amidst the complex geopolitical dynamics of the region.
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Anzer Ayoob is the Founder and Chief Editor to The Chenab Times
