Indus row: India agrees to redesign Miyar plant

Talks on 2 other disputed projects in US next month

Pakistan and India on Tuesday agreed to redesign Miyar Hydroelectric Project.

The agreement was reached at the end of a two-day meeting of Indus water commissioners of Pakistan and India, an official statement said.

It was also agreed that Lower Kalnai, Pakal Dul projects will be inspected again. The Pakistani delegation was headed by Mirza Asif Baig while P.K. Saxena led the Indian delegation.

Speaking to reporters at the conclusion of talks, Pakistan’s Indus water commissioner Mirza Asif

Baig said the Indian side had agreed to halt progress and review the design of its 120-megawatt Miyar project, which according to Islamabad violates the 1960 Indus Water Treaty.

India will share the new design with Islamabad before starting work on

It was also decided that the Lower Kalnai and Pakal Dul projects will be inspected again

that project, Mr Baig said. “We also presented our objections over the designs of Pakul Dal (1,000 megawatts) and Lower Kalnai (48 megawatts) projects,” he said, adding that further talks on the controversial projects were likely to be held after three months in the Indian capital, New Delhi.

Two other controversial hydropower projects — Kishanganga and Ratle — over which Pakistan was seeking International Court of Arbitration through the World Bank were not discussed. Negotiations on these two projects would be held next month in the United States, he added.

New Delhi had suspended negotiations over the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, which grants control of the eastern Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers to India while the western Indus, Jhelum and Chenab rivers to Pakistan, following an attack by militants that killed 19 Indian soldiers last year.