Court of Arbitration to announce verdict on Kishenganga project during current month: Abbasi

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Thursday informed the Senate that International Court of Arbitration would announce verdict on Kishenganga Hydroelectric project by the end of current month.

On behalf of Minister of Water and Power, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in the question hours, said that, the Kishenganga Hydroelectric plant is under construction by India and it is located in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir on river Neelum.

Gross capacity of the reservoir is 18.80 million Cubic Meter or 14,900 acre feet with dead storage of 8755 acre feet and an operating poll of 6120 acre feet.

The water of river Kishenganga is to be diverted through a 23 krri long tunnel to produce 330 mw powers.

The water after production of power will join the Wullar Lake and ultimately flow down through Jhelum to Muzaffarabad.

The Minister informed the House that India was allowed to construct Run-of-River hydroelectric plants and limited storage works on the Western Rivers (Indus Jhelum and Chenab) within the limits of design criteria provided in the relevant provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty 1960.

He said India is bound to provide detailed information and design data regarding the proposed projects.

The minister said all the dams constructed by India on Pakistan's Western Rivers so for are Run-of-River Hydroelectric Plants which do not involve any consumption of water therefore no reduction in flow coming to Pakistan has been noticed or likely to occur on account of the dams constructed for hydropower generation.