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Dam stays, but not so high, rules World Bank expert

The World Bank appointed neutral expert’s verdict has allowed the dam at Baglihar on the Chenab river in Kashmir with a 1.5 metre reduction in height.

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NEW DELHI: The World Bank appointed neutral expert’s verdict, to allow the dam at Baglihar on the Chenab river in Kashmir with a 1.5 metre reduction in height, has managed to keep a balance between the competing concerns of India and Pakistan, but it did put the central government in a quandary over the manner in which it should react to it.

The decision of Swiss expert Raymond Lafitte was communicated to the Ministry of Water Resources through e-mail around 4 pm on Monday. Till late in the evening, the officials involved in the negotiations on the issue were studying and discussing the verdict. Sources said they would then discuss it with the External Affairs Ministry and Prime Minister’s Office. The Centre would only then issue a statement on the order.

Of particular concern was the way the verdict would be received by the people of Jammu and Kashmir where there has been opposition to the whole Indus Water Treaty (IWT) of 1960 that puts limitations on usage of waters of rivers of the Indus system. Welcoming the report may not go down well in the strife-torn state.

Lafitte has, however, upheld India’s contention that the dam does not violate the IWT and allowed construction to go on. But he rejected India’s stand against making any changes in the height of the dam. There had been earlier indications to this effect when it was also reported that a height reduction of 2 m or above would have been unacceptable to India.

India had offered to consider some technical changes to accommodate Pakistan, if these could be made without compromising power generation and safety of the dam, but Pakistan insisted India agree to all its demands. Pakistan had objected to the dam’s design, size and storage capacity.

The Baglihar, a concrete gravity dam, has a height of 144.5 metres and is 317 metres long at the top. Its main spillway has six submerged radial gates, 10m wide x 10.5m high. The chute spillway contains two crest radial gates, 12m wide x 19m high. The reservoir has live storage capacity of 15Mm3 with a gross head of 130m.

Each of the two horseshoe-shaped diversion tunnels are 939 metres long and have a diameter of 10.15 metres. The circular headrace tunnel is 2,070m long while the tailrace tunnel is 160 metres long, 10m wide and 19-27.5m-high.

Pakistan has raised objections and commented adversely on all the projects that India has proposed on the eastern rivers (the Ravi, the Beas, and the Sutlej) allocated to it under the Treaty.

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