Pakistani team to survey artificial lake project on Tawi river

A high-level Pakistani team will visit Jammu this month to study the artificial lake project on Tawi river.

The visit by the Indus water commission team from Pakistan, scheduled for February 15-25, will help dispel any apprehensions about violation of provisions of Indus Water Treaty (IWT), a senior official of Public Health Engineering (PHE) and Irrigation said today.

Minister for PHE, irrigation and flood control Taj Mohi-ud-Din said, though Pakistan has not raised any objections so far regarding construction of the lake but they wanted to satisfy themselves after visiting the lake site and the place where the bundh is being raised on the Tawi bed.

"They may have doubts regarding violation of Indus Water Treaty signed between the two countries but we have carried out work within the permissible limits of the Indus Water Treaty," he said, adding "no violation has been committed in the design of the lake or even in the water storage."

The Pakistani panel will be accompanied by the Indus Water Commissioner from India.

The work on the lake project is in full swing and is expected be completed in one year.

The project will not only attract tourists to Jammu, but will also help in irrigation purposes, the official said.