Jammu, Feb 20: The Permanent Indus Water Commission (IWC) from Pakistan on Sunday said that it would have no objection over creation of first-ever artificial lake in Jammu and Kashmir, if it is within the parameters of Indus Water Treaty (IWT).
 The Pakistan Commission has, however, asked the IWC team from India to provide it with the detailed documents to take a final decision on the project.
 A 3-member panel from Pakistan comprising Indus Water Commissioner, Sheraz Jamil Memon and two advisors, Imran Afzal Cheema and Fairas Qazi started their 3-day-long visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday.
 The team inspected the proposed site for creation of artificial lake along river Tawi in Jammu.
 “Come up with the documents on the project of the lake. We will have no objection over the project if it is within the parameters of the treaty,” Memon told his Indian counterparts while inspecting the site.
 The panel, which took an overall assessment of the project during their about one and half an hour visit to the site, had a detailed queries over the project.
 “I cannot say it is a violation. We have come here to inspect the site. If we find any violation of the Treaty, we will speak to our counterpart,” Memon told reporters after the inspection.
 Accompanied by the Permanent IWC team from India comprising Indus Water Commissioner, G Aranganathan and two advisors Darwan Talwar and Devinder Rao, the Pakistani panel, however, described the visit as “routine activity”, saying it can ask for inspection of any hydro-electric and other projects in JK that comes under the purview of the Treaty. 
 The IWT Commissioner from India, G Arangarathan while fielding media
 queries, also sought to downplay the controversy over artificial lake. “Commissions on the either side have to know the developments which are taking place on the projects under the purview of IWT. Through such visits both countries come to know how far the Indus Water System is being followed by two parties.”
 “It is wrong to say that the project is under scanner. The Treaty says that the Commission will inspect all rivers, Jhelum, Chenab and Ravi including their tributaries. As river Tawi is a tributary of river Chenab, it is wrong to use word ‘under scanner’ and I think it is putting words in our mouths,” G Arangarathan remarked.
 “Under the Treaty, some storage of water is permissible. They have not raised any objections over the project as it is not a storage project. The Pak delegation wanted to inspect the site after seeing freak news item published in the paper that India is planning for storage of water. In our opinion, the project is not violating the Treaty.”

Lastupdate on : Sun, 20 Feb 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 20 Feb 2011 18:30:00 GMT
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