India gives go-ahead to Pakistan on hydro-electric projects

Lahore: Indian authorities have given green-signal to a Pakistani delegation to visit and inspect the hydro-electric projects at River Chenab in India. Officials said that a delegation of water officials headed by Pakistan’s Indus Water Commissioner Mehar Ali Shah, will likely to visit India in the end of January. India has given assent for a delegation of Pakistani officials to visit the sites of the water projects at Chenab River, being built by India. The delegation led by Indus Water Commissioner Syed Mehar Ali Shah will leave on January 27 for a four-day visit of India. Syed Mehar Ali Shah said that the Pakistani experts will inspect 1,000MW Pakal Dul and 48MW Lower Kalnai hydro-electric projects on the River Chenab. Indian officials have also expressed positive signs with regard to inspection by Pakistani officials about other projects on Chenab, reports stated. A delegation led by Indian Water Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Saxena visited Pakistan in August last year for talks on water issues. The water commissioners of the neighbouring countries are required to meet twice a year and arrange technical visits to sites of projects and critical river headworks. Pakistani officials during the Indian visit raised their concerns over the construction of 1,000MW Pakal Dul and 48MW Lower Kalnai hydroelectric projects on the River Chenab, ignoring Islamabad’s objections on their designs.