World Bank rules on Kashmir dam

[Bull]

The World Bank has given its verdict on a controversial hydro-electric dam project in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Both India and Pakistan have claimed the order as their victory.

The World Bank was called in to adjudicate after Pakistan said the Baglihar Dam would deprive one of its agricultural regions of irrigation.

India says the project on Chenab River is crucial for meeting its power needs. The World Bank appointed an arbitrator in May 2005 to settle the dispute.

Raymond Lafitte, a professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, presented the report to the diplomats from India and Pakistan in the Swiss capital, Bern.

The report has not been made public, but both India and Pakistan say it backs their stand.

The verdict is binding on both countries.

The report is understood to have over-ruled most of Pakistan's objections to the dam.

Welcoming the report, India's Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz said: "India's point of view has been completely upheld. The overall design of the dam remains intact. We are very happy with the report."

But the report is believed to have said India must lower the height of the dam by 1.5m (five feet) - which has been claimed as "a major victory" by Pakistan's Minister for Water and Power, Liaqat Ali Jatoi.

Controversy

"The neutral expert has in his verdict clearly said that the design of the project is in violation of the treaty, so this is good news for Pakistan," Mr Jatoi said.

Power minister in the Indian-administered Kashmir's state government, Rigzin Zora, told the BBC that the World Bank order on reducing the dam height "will not affect the power generation capacity of the project".

Construction on the Baglihar Dam project was started in 2000 and it was due to be completed by June 2006.

The project ran into controversy after Pakistan raised objections to the dam.

Islamabad argued that the dam violated the World Bank-brokered 1960 Indus Water treaty, which divided the rights of water from six rivers between India and Pakistan.

Mr Raymond Lafitte visited the dam site before giving his verdict.

www.bbcnews.com

I think only in instance the ruling was against India, thats for reducing the height. Atlast we got something solved.

 

[Bull]

PAKISTAN SHOULD FINANCE OTHER MEANS OF WATER STORAGE AND DISTRIBUTION(WATER RECYCLING PLANTS) AND POWER GENERATION(NUCLEAR REACTORS,WIND MILL,SOLAR ENERGY)....
NO MATTER HOW MUCH IT COSTS..THESE PROJECTS SHOULD BE FINANCED AND PAKISTANS RELIANCE OFN CHEAP AND NATURAL WATER BE REDUCED...WE ARE NOT SAFE ON ELYING ON OUR ELDER NEIGHBOUR..

Mos of the big countries have failed to do it. Pakistan is still a emerging economy, it cant strain itself on such ventures.

 

[Contrarian]

Cheers man!
only 1.5m's, and all the rest of India's positions upheld. Good going WB!

 

[Goodperson]

Cheers man!
only 1.5m's, and all the rest of India's positions upheld. Good going WB!

India offered similar deal or much more than Pakistan got now as per WB ruling, But Pakistan chose WB way.

 

[vnomad]

1. Dam height - Planned - 144.5 m. Pakistani Demand - 44.5 m (no typo). Awarded - 143 m
2. Pondage - Planned 37.5 MCM. Pakistani Demand 6.22 MCM, Awarded - 32.56 MCM
3. Water Intake height for power generation - Planned - 818 m, Pakistani Demand - 825 m, Award - 821 m

Plus the arbitrer dismissed the Pak objection regarding the spill gates.

 

[niaz]

Good thing is that both the sides think that they have been vindicated. Hurrah.

Any agreement is only good as long both parties think that it is in their interest. At least the problem will be resolved without any country feeling that they have been wronged.

 

[Bull]

Good thing is that both the sides think that they have been vindicated. Hurrah.

Any agreement is only good as long both parties think that it is in their interest. At least the problem will be resolved without any country feeling that they have been wronged.

Yeah have to agree, let them both celebrate. Im relieved at knowing that atleast something can be solvd between us.

 

[Contrarian]

Hate to be a party spoiler here, but apparently there is something. Pakistan is going to appeal or something like that on some technicality, and the report clearly said that Pakistan though tried to present it as their victory at home, the local Pakistani media has lambasted the govt for trying to put a spin on the issue.

 

[kidwaibhai]

realy i didnt here any thing like this on GEO maybe i missed it

 

[HASEEB66]

Mos of the big countries have failed to do it. Pakistan is still a emerging economy, it cant strain itself on such ventures.

Nobody has failed to do it...its's just that it is expensive and (hydro,hydel are cheaper and nuclear plants,solar dish and wind mills are expensive to install in the beginning...Pakistan is already producing 1% of its electricity from nuclear in Chasma plant...Pakistan has many natural sites available for hydro, hydel, nuclear, wind, solar. around
(.60%) is already being produced by solar energy...World Bank and many other organisations have offered to finance any project that gets the go ahead from the government..World Bank has even offered to finance Kalabagh Dam..Pakistan already has has the largets earth rock filled dam in the shape of Tarbela..Pakistan has natural advantage of cheaper electricity and fuel..petrol is Rs57 high octane and in India i think it is Rs87...Pakistan produces more than 30% of its own oil..Pakistan has not build most of its natural sites becasue the governments were stuck on Kalabagh..now only have they started that is the reason Pakistan's water storage capacity is much lower than other developing countries (China,India)

 

[HASEEB66]

One of the reason Pakistan objected was that Indian parliment has given go ahead to many projects on its western borders to put maximum possible pressure on Pakistan in the future..I don't find any reason for objection as it does not make any difference to Pakistan..Pakistan's objection was half hearted

 

[Contrarian]

One of the reason Pakistan objected was that Indian parliment has given go ahead to many projects on its western borders to put maximum possible pressure on Pakistan in the future..I don't find any reason for objection as it does not make any difference to Pakistan..Pakistan's objection was half hearted

You mean on the Baglihar damn? Well, i'l say Pakistan objected hell of a lot. Pakistani experts came over here to study the project, they couldnt find any problem, i mean they verified that the damn was not violating the things quoted by Pakistan. When they went back, boom , they had diff things to say.

What exactly do you mean by "Pakistan objected was that Indian parliment has given go ahead to many projects on its western borders to put maximum possible pressure on Pakistan in the future". Please explain.

 

[Bull]

Pakistan has many natural sites available for hydro, hydel,

But you said you should not rely on hydel power.

PAKISTAN SHOULD FINANCE OTHER MEANS OF WATER STORAGE AND DISTRIBUTION(WATER RECYCLING PLANTS) AND POWER GENERATION(NUCLEAR REACTORS,WIND MILL,SOLAR ENERGY)....
NO MATTER HOW MUCH IT COSTS..THESE PROJECTS SHOULD BE FINANCED AND PAKISTANS RELIANCE OFN CHEAP AND NATURAL WATER BE REDUCED.....

Pakistan has natural advantage of cheaper electricity and fuel..petrol is Rs57 high octane and in India i think it is Rs87...

High octane costs 64.88 (MRP) in paksitan and In India Speed 97 (from BPCL) costs 55 in mumbai and 60 in Delhi.

Pakistan produces more than 30% of its own oil..

Pakistan produces 24 Mn Barrels a year ( 2006 est) and consumes 133 Mn barrels ( 2004 est), ie 18 % and not 30%. It would be much lower than 18 % as the consumption estimate is for yr 2004 and it would have gone by dramatically in two years of boom.

All the figures you quote are total rubbish.

 

[Goodperson]

Good thing is that both the sides think that they have been vindicated. Hurrah.

Any agreement is only good as long both parties think that it is in their interest. At least the problem will be resolved without any country feeling that they have been wronged.

Pakistan was offered Baglihar height reduction in 2005

Jammu, Feb 14 (IANS) The Jammu and Kashmir government had told Pakistan that the height of the Baglihar dam could be reduced by 1.5 metres long before the matter was referred to the World Bank. But the latter had refused the offer, a minister has said.

"We had told Pakistan that we would voluntarily reduce the height of the dam from 144.5 metres to 143 metres and the matter should not be taken to the World Bank," Kashmir Power Minister Nawang Rigzin Jora told IANS.

"But Pakistan did not agree."

It was in July 2005 when a Pakistan team visited Baglihar to inspect its construction that this offer was made. "Pakistan missed the opportunity," he said.

"Now Pakistan has gained nothing because the World Bank arbitrator too has awarded that only 1.5 metres of the height should be reduced. This matter could have been resolved bilaterally," Jora said.

His comments came after neutral expert Raymond Lafitte Monday ruled a 1.5 metre height reduction for the hydroelectric project on the Chenab. The dam would convert the river Chenab into a 50 km long lake in the area, submerging as many as 16 villages.

"The good news is that we can go ahead with other projects. Many of our concerns have been taken care of," he said.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has said this is a "win-win situation for both India and Pakistan and the people of Jammu and Kashmir are the biggest beneficiary of the award."

The Baglihar project will generate 450 MW of power. It is to be commissioned in December 2007.

Source:http://www.indianmuslims.info/news/...ffered_baglihar_height_reduction_in_2005.html

 

[HASEEB66]

But you said you should not rely on hydel power.







High octane costs 64.88 (MRP) in paksitan and In India Speed 97 (from BPCL) costs 55 in mumbai and 60 in Delhi.



Pakistan produces 24 Mn Barrels a year ( 2006 est) and consumes 133 Mn barrels ( 2004 est), ie 18 % and not 30%. It would be much lower than 18 % as the consumption estimate is for yr 2004 and it would have gone by dramatically in two years of boom.

All the figures you quote are total rubbish.

lol....high octane does not cost rs67 in pakistan it cost rs57...and in india it is rs87....and new oil exploration will help maintain the percentage of 30%....and i did not say pakistan reduce it's dependancy on hydro or hydel..but also invest in solar,wind and nuclear..