Arbitration court: Global experts inspect Kishanganga project
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10/05/2012
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Business Recorder (Pakistan)
A high-level team of water commissioners from India and Pakistan and members of the International Court of Arbitration on Thursday inspected the 330-megawatt Kishanganga Hydro Power Project in north Kashmir's Bandipura district.
The seven-member team, including a hydrologist, reached Gurez where they inspected the proposed dam site near Malik Kadal, a Kashmir news agency quoted a senior official as saying.
The team has come to inspect the project before the next hearing of the International Court of Arbitration being held at The Hague later this month.
In June last year, a 29-member team comprising officials from India, Pakistan and the World Bank visited the dam's site and its power house.
Pakistan approached the International Court of Arbitration last year against the construction of the project, reportedly raising objections in the appeal regarding 'diversion and change of sub-basin' of the Kishanganga River from Gurez to the project's site in Bandipura.
India has been sticking to its stand that the project was in compliance with the Indus Water Treaty, which was brokered by the World Bank, giving rights over water of three rivers each to the two countries.
The waters of the Kishanganga River are to be diverted through a 24-kilometre-long tunnel for power production.
The remaining water flow will join the Wullar Lake and ultimately run through River Jhelum to Muzaffarabad.
The hydropower project is being built on Kishanganga River, which flows into Pakistan.
The project is likely to be completed in February 2017.
A 37-metre-high dam is being built in Gurez where from 56 cusecs of water will be diverted to the power project.