Just days after rejoicing at the order of the International Court of Arbitration on Kishanganga power project, India is seeking revision of some of its provisions, as it shall affect generation of 10,000 MW of electricity from future projects planned on river Chenab in Jammu and Kashmir. Some of projects are about to be executed.
While the Court of Arbitration in The Hague has cleared 330 MW Kishanganga power project coming up on Kishanganga, in scenic Gurez Valley of Kashmir much to the chagrin of Islamabad, officials who scrutinised the arbitration award here now say the capacity of the project would decrease by about 10% besides hitting soon-to-be executed vital projects such as Pakul Dul, Kiri, Kwar and Bursar with a cumulative capacity of 3220 MW. Ironically, the judgment would equally affect the 10% capacity of Neelam-Jhelum project coming up in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) as well.
The award has banned the use of drawdown flushing in all future projects. It essentially means that all the new projects will either have to survive with shorter life or a new technology has to be evolved to manage the massive sedimentation load that kills power dams and reservoirs. All the major rivers in J&K and their tributaries have massively silted flows, and Chenab, the major power house of the state, has sediment load as a major crisis.
Union minister for water resources Harish Rawat, who felicitated officials of Indus Water Commission and lawyers who represented India’s case, asked the scientific community to find a way out as per the parameters set by the Court of Arbitration. “Our scientists are capable of devising the required technology. They can do it, as they have found a way to Mars.” he said.
Officials here say, the verdict was 90% in favour of India as far as ongoing projects are concerned.
Further, it has cleared way for India for inter-tributary transfer of water.
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