Indo-Pak talks on Tulbul navigation and Wullar projects
Lok Sabha
During the Secretary Level Talks between India and Pakistan on Tulbul Navigation/Wular Barrage Storage Project held at Islamabad from 22nd to 23rd June, 2006, the two sides had a better understanding of each other's views and reaffirmed their commitment to the Indus Water Treaty 1960 and agreed to continue the discussions during the next round of Composite Dialogue with a view to resolving the issue in accordance with the provisions of the Treaty.
Earlier, eight rounds of Secretary Level talks and thereafter, four more between the Secretaries as part of the Composite Dialogue, have been held on the issue so far.
In Pakistan's perception, the project structure is a barrage with a storage capacity of around 0.3 million acre feet (0.369 Billion cubic metre) and that India is not permitted to construct any storage facility on the main stem of the river Jhelum. Indian side has pointed out that the structure is not a storage facility but a navigation facility as defined in the Indus Waters Treaty 1960. Further, Wullar Lake gains natural storage and the navigation lock is merely a structure to regulate the outflow from the nautral storage to facilitate adequate depth of water for navigation during the winter months from October to February. Also, Non-Consumptive Use is permitted to India under the Treaty which includes control or use of water for navigation, provided these do not prejudice downstream uses of waters by Pakistan. Further that Pakistan has not established any prejudice to their downstream uses by the construction of the structure.
This information was given by the Minister of Water Resources, Prof. Saifuddin Soz in response to a question by Shri Badiga Ramakrishna in the Lok Sabha today.
SK/BS