Kishanganga project expected to meet 2016 deadline

[anilindia]

The work on ambitious Rs 3,642 crore Kishenganga hydro-electric project in Bandipora district of north Kashmir is in full swing and is expected to meet the deadline of 2016.

"Rs 1637.73 crore stand utilised on the 330 MW power project so far... About 10 km, out of 23 kms long tunnel, has been completed," an official said briefing Union minister of state for power Venugopal Rao.

Rao, accompanied by Jammu and Kashmir minister of state for power Shabir Ahmad Khan, made an extensive tour of Bandipora yesterday and inspected the dam site of the project, 57 kms from here, a spokesman said.


He said the team, which also included MLA Bandipora Nizam-u-Din Bhat, MLA Gurez Nazir Ahmad Gurezi, Director NHPC J K Sharma, Principal Secretary Power Sudhansu Pandey and District Development Commissioner Bandipora Manzoor Ahmad Lone, inspected the 23-km long tunnel which is in progress.

The Kishanganga Plant, located five kms north of Bandipora, is part of a run-of-the-river hydroelectric scheme that is designed to divert water from the Kishanganga river to a power plant in the Jhelum River basin.

Construction on the project began in 2007 and is expected to be complete in 2016, he said.

However, the construction on the dam was halted by the Hague's Permanent Court of Arbitration (CoA) in October 2011 due to Pakistan's protest of its effect on the flow of the Kishanganga River (called the Neelum River in Pakistan).

Pakistan approached the Hague's Permanent CoA, complaining that the Plant violates the Indus River treaty between the two countries by increasing the catchment of the Jhelum river and depriving Pakistan of its water.

In June 2011, the CoA visited both the Kishanganga and Neelum–Jhelum Projects.

In August 2011, they ordered India to submit more technical data on the project. India had previously reduced the height of the dam from 98 m (322 ft) to 37 m (121 ft).

After Pakistan's application was first rejected, the court asked India late September to stop any permanent work that would inhibit restoration of the river.

While India cannot construct the dam, they can continue on the tunnel and power plant in hopes that the court will allow the project.

Kishanganga project expected to meet 2016 deadline | Business Standard

 

[Imran Khan]

you can't operate it court banned it lolz keep making without water

After Pakistan's application was first rejected, the court asked India late September to stop any permanent work that would inhibit restoration of the river.

While India cannot construct the dam, they can continue on the tunnel and power plant in hopes that the court will allow the project

 

[Imran Khan]

you read it before post it? just read last 5 lines

 

[KRAIT]

Once we build it, we will pay bribes to environmentalists and local people to stop the opposition and no other country cares about our hydal project. Lets wait for 2016 , shall we.

Sonia or BJP has enough money in their accounts to make it work just to get some patriotic people's vote.

 

[Imran Khan]

Once we build it, we will pay bribes to environmentalists and local people to stop the opposition and no other country cares about our hydal project. Lets wait for 2016 , shall we.

Sonia or BJP has enough money in their accounts to make it work just to get some patriotic people's vote.

very simple haain wow international court did it now admit it that india was wrong or you think international court was wrong?

 

[KRAIT]

Simple hai yaara....Billions do te aish karo.....

$ 12 billion ke liye 6 nation pagal ho gaye, $ 1-2 billion ke liye woh India ka support kar denge, Even hamari taraf se case lad lenge.

::lol

 

[anilindia]

That not final order friend. It will be same as Baglihar Dam.

 

[KRAIT]

Simple hai yaara....Billions do te aish karo.....

$ 12 billion ke liye 6 nation pagal ho gaye, $ 1-2 billion ke liye woh India ka support kar denge, Even hamari taraf se case lad lenge.

::lol

 

[ajtr]

you can't operate it court banned it lolz keep making without water

After Pakistan's application was first rejected, the court asked India late September to stop any permanent work that would inhibit restoration of the river.

While India cannot construct the dam, they can continue on the tunnel and power plant in hopes that the court will allow the project

If it comes to that we wont mind nullifying the IWT.If GoP wants this time they can re-notiate the IWT on equal basis ie 50-50- not at present level 80-20 in favour of pak.........

very simple haain wow international court did it now admit it that india was wrong or you think international court was wrong?

India can nullify the jurisdiction of ICA too as it did with Atlantique case which GOP took to International court at Hague.

 

[Imran Khan]

Simple hai yaara....Billions do te aish karo.....

$ 12 billion ke liye 6 nation pagal ho gaye, $ 1-2 billion ke liye woh India ka support kar denge, Even hamari taraf se case lad lenge.

::lol

india already changed the design and height of dam from 98 m (322 ft) to 37 m (121 ft) because of pakistani first appeal

 

[Ticker]

If it comes to that we wont mind nullifying the IWT.If GoP wants this time they can re-notiate the IWT on equal basis ie 50-50- not at present level 80-20 in favour of pak.........

According to the current international lower riparian environment, India is not likely to accept renegotiation of IWT, like we are not ready to renegotiate the ownership of IVC.

 

[INDIC]

india already changed the design and height of dam from 98 m (322 ft) to 37 m (121 ft) because of pakistani first appeal

Iska mujhe nahi pata par sare Pakistaniyon ko height se zyada dam ke hone ki tension hai.

 

[ajtr]

Hydroelectric plant in Pak-occupied Kashmir hangs fire
Anirban Bhaumik, New Delhi, Oct 2, 2012, DHNS:
Pak struggles for funds as Beijing, Abu Dhabi dither on lending
With its potential lenders like Beijing and Abu Dhabi dilly-dallying, Islamabad is finding it difficult to mobilise funds for a hydro-electric plant it has been building in ****************** Kashmir (***) and citing as its ''downstream use'' to block an Indian project upstream on a tributary of Jhelum.

Invoking the 1960 India-Pakistan Indus Water Treaty (IWT), Islamabad in 2010 sought arbitration by an international court on its dispute with New Delhi over the 330 MW Kishenganga Hydro Electric Project (KHEP), which the National Hydro-Power Corporation Limited is building in the Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir. Islamabad recently argued before the Court of Arbitration in The Hague that the KHEP would adversely hit power generation at the 969 MW Neelum Jhelum Hydro Electric Project (N-JHEP), which it has been building downstream on the same river in the Pakistani side of the LoC.

Uncertainty, however, looms large over the N-JHEP, as Beijing is yet to clear the China Export Import Bank’s proposed loan of $ 448 million to Pakistan for the hydel project.

New Delhi has been protesting against Beijing’s plan to provide assistance to Islamabad for the N-JHEP, as the project is located in ***, which India claims as its integral part.

The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development – a lending arm of Abu Dhabi Government – has also withheld a $ 100 million loan it had earlier pledged for the project.

Claiming that Islamabad had “consistently failed to substantiate” its claim of downstream uses of the water of the Kishenganga or Neelum, India recently argued before the Court of Arbitration that Pakistan had “failed to demonstrate its commitment to the realisation” of the N-JHEP.

Pakistan, however, claimed that it had remained committed to the project since 1989. Islamabad argued that India’s plan for diversion of water of the Kishenganga into another tributary of Jhelum for the KHEP was in contrary to the latter’s IWT obligations.
The seven-member Court of Arbitration headed by eminent American jurist Stephen M Schwebel finished hearing arguments of both Indian and Pakistani representatives on August 31 last and is expected to deliver the final award by February 2013.

New Delhi argued that the IWT required India to take into account Pakistan’s downstream uses only up to a date at which designs of its own hydroelectric projects would be finalised. India pointed out that if it had to continuously adjust its hydel projects’ designs to Pakistan’s downstream uses as they develop, then the express right granted to it by the IWT to use waters of the “Western Rivers” to generate hydropower would stand negated. Pakistan claimed that the treaty protected its “downstream uses as they would exist from time-to-time”.

But a recent deposition by N-JHEP project director Muhammad Zubair before Pakistan National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Economic Affairs revealed that the construction of the hydel plant is far from reality and has been hit by fund-crunch. The Islamic Development Bank pledged $ 357 million, but halted release of fund after China’s EXIM Bank slowed down the process to clear its loan for the project. Pakistan’s Auditor General also pointed out recently that the inordinate delay had raised the project’s cost by 225.29 per cent to $ 2.94 billion.

According to the current international lower riparian environment, India is not likely to accept renegotiation of IWT, like we are not ready to renegotiate the ownership of IVC.

Then GOI would be much better in position by nullifying it. Its like heads GOI wins tail GOP loses.

 

[Ticker]

india already changed the design and height of dam from 98 m (322 ft) to 37 m (121 ft) because of pakistani first appeal

What India says is that we will divert the Neelum river to Jhelum River, essentially to use Jhelum River for boat transportation. The water will fall into Jhelum River as Neelum also joins Jhelum at a point inside Pakistan. It will create problems for the area which is between the point where Neelum enters Pakistan and subsequently joins Jhelum. Indians also want to fill the lake at the head of Wullar Barrage, which is also controversial.

Surprisingly, according to an Indian electricity board or something study done probably in 90s, they clearly said that Kishanganga Project is not feasible. Still the Indians are going for it and their intention is certainly not to produce electricity etc, but to stop water entering Pakistan as per IWT. They are in violation and their intent is very very clear.

 

[ajtr]

india already changed the design and height of dam from 98 m (322 ft) to 37 m (121 ft) because of pakistani first appeal

India did gave option to GOP to develop Heydro electric project and take care of ecology ogf the indus basin(if im not wrong) but GoP being Gop rejected it in back door CBMs.