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Hindustan Times
05-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
India to ask World Bank expert to pause Indus dispute meetings
India is preparing to 'brief' the World Bank and the bank-appointed neutral expert, Michel Lino, about its decision to not participate in forthcoming proceedings of the Indus treaty dispute-resolution mechanism in Vienna till the water-sharing pact with Pakistan remains suspended, according to an official. Since the treaty is in abeyance, the government will ask Lino's office to put upcoming meetings on hold, the official said. The office of Lino at the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which is adjudicating disputes raised by Pakistan regarding the Kishenganga and Ratle dams, was due to hold a meeting in Vienna in November followed by a site visit. The last such meeting in Vienna was held in September 2023, in which India was represented by its counsel Harish Salve. This was followed by a site visit in 2024. The country has maintained that there's no need to notify the bank about its decision to pause what the official said was a bilateral treaty. India announced keeping the treaty in abeyance after terrorists massacred dozens of tourists in Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22. 'Since the treaty is now under suspension, there will be no participation in dispute resolution by the neutral expert under the treaty,' the official with direct knowledge of the matter said. There are about seven counts of differences related to the operational 330-MW Kishanganga project in Gurez and the upcoming 850MW Ratle dam in the Chenab valley. The Kishanganga project is wholly owned by the National Hydropower Corporation, while Ratle is a joint venture between NHPC and the Jammu & Kashmir Power Development Corporation. India had argued at the last Vienna meet that the pondage of 7.55 million cubic metres in the Kishanganga dam is within the limits of the maximum permitted pondage under para 8(C) of annexure D of the treaty. Pakistan had first raised objections to India's construction of the 330 MW Kishenganga hydroelectric project on the Jhelum river back in 2006, and then objected to plans to construct the 850 MW Ratle project on the Chenab river.
Economic Times
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Economic Times
India to ask World Bank neutral expert to pause Kishanganga-Ratle proceedings under Indus Waters Treaty
India plans to halt the ongoing Kishanganga-Ratle hydel project dispute resolution. They will ask the World Bank-appointed neutral expert to pause the proceedings. This follows India's decision to put the Indus Waters Treaty in 'abeyance'. A mutually agreed work program between India, Pakistan, and the neutral expert is likely to be paused. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Popular in Politics India is set to ask the World Bank-appointed neutral expert, mediating the Kishanganga-Ratle hydel project dispute since 2022-23 under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), to put the proceedings in abeyance, ET has is expected to cite 'changed circumstances' following the Pahalgam attack and its consequent decision to put the treaty in 'abeyance' and seek that, accordingly, the ongoing neutral expert-linked proceedings should be put in part of these proceedings, there is a mutually agreed 'work programme' between India, Pakistan and the World Bank's neutral expert Michel Lino that is likely to be paused, with India seeking abeyance of the IWT dispute resolution mechanism As per the agreed work programme for 2025, Pakistan was to submit its ' counter memorial ' by August 7. The fourth meeting of the neutral expert with the parties was lined up from November 17 to would have been significant as it would have involved presentation of India's memorial and Pakistan's counter memorial, questions by the neutral expert and preparation for the second site visit in India, most likely in reply and Pakistan's rejoinder in January and June 2026 and a possible fifth meeting of the neutral expert with the parties in July 2026 could have been the next on legal opinion on the matter, India is looking to hold back all these proceedings and is expected to soon write to the neutral expert on the same. The communication is likely to be endorsed to the World Bank, it is had reported on April 25 that the Centre was seeking legal opinion on exiting the ongoing neutral expert-led dispute resolution process in which it has actively participated so neutral expert dispute redressal mechanism for Kishanganga-Ratle projects that took off in 2023 has already seen three high-level rounds of meetings in Vienna, sharing of considerable data and documentation and a site visit to the two project areas in India in June 2024.
News18
05-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
In Another Blow To Pakistan, India To Ask World Bank To Pause Kishanganga-Ratle Case
Last Updated: India is reportedly preparing to officially ask the World Bank-appointed neutral expert, Michel Lino, to pause the ongoing adjudication proceedings in Kishanganga-Ratle Case. In an escalation following the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, India has effectively abandoned the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) and taken sweeping steps that experts say could signal a new chapter in South Asia's geopolitical water diplomacy. From military readiness to diplomatic isolation, India appears to be cornering Pakistan on multiple fronts – and this time, the water tap is part of the strategy. One of the most significant developments in this direction has been the abrupt diversion of the Chenab River, a lifeline for Pakistan's Punjab region. By closing the gates of the Baglihar Dam in Jammu and Kashmir, India has reportedly redirected the river's flow, drastically reducing water availability downstream. The Chenab, among the three western rivers allocated to Pakistan under the IWT, contributes heavily to irrigation across vast agricultural tracts. Its diminished flow is now feared to trigger an acute water crisis, possibly even famine, in parts of Pakistan this summer. This bold maneuver is not limited to water control alone. India has also moved to halt all engagement in the IWT dispute resolution process, particularly regarding the contentious Kishanganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects. According to a report by The Economic Times, India is preparing to officially ask the World Bank-appointed neutral expert, Michel Lino, to pause the ongoing adjudication proceedings. The rationale India will present is rooted in 'changed circumstances" following the Pahalgam attack and the government's decision to place the entire treaty framework in abeyance. 'India is set to ask the World Bank-appointed neutral expert, mediating the Kishanganga-Ratle hydel project dispute since 2022-23 under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), to put the proceedings in abeyance," ET reported, citing high-level sources. The move is expected to be communicated soon in writing to the neutral expert, with a copy also sent to the World Bank, effectively freezing the three-party engagement. The Kishanganga-Ratle dispute, one of the most technically and diplomatically complex under the IWT, was already deep into its neutral expert phase. As part of a structured work programme, Pakistan was scheduled to file its 'counter memorial" by August 7, 2025, following which a key meeting between the parties and the expert was slated for November. This session would have included presentations from both countries, expert questions, and preparation for a second site inspection in India, tentatively planned for December. The process, which began in 2023, has already witnessed three rounds of high-level meetings in Vienna, exchange of extensive documentation, and a major site visit to the Kishanganga and Ratle project locations in June 2024. According to ET, the next phases would have included further submissions in early 2026 and a fifth meeting in July that year. All of this is now at risk of indefinite suspension. India's posture appears to be aimed at delivering a comprehensive strategic response to the Pahalgam terror attack, one that simultaneously wields military readiness, legal disengagement, and environmental leverage. While Pakistan has yet to issue an official response to this sweeping shift, the implications for regional stability and future water sharing are enormous. The IWT, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, has long been hailed as a model of resilient diplomacy. India's decision to back away from both the treaty and its dispute resolution process marks a historic, and potentially irreversible, break from that legacy.
Time of India
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
India to ask World Bank neutral expert to pause Kishanganga-Ratle proceedings under Indus Waters Treaty
India plans to halt the ongoing Kishanganga-Ratle hydel project dispute resolution. They will ask the World Bank-appointed neutral expert to pause the proceedings. This follows India's decision to put the Indus Waters Treaty in 'abeyance'. A mutually agreed work program between India, Pakistan, and the neutral expert is likely to be paused. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Popular in Politics India is set to ask the World Bank-appointed neutral expert, mediating the Kishanganga-Ratle hydel project dispute since 2022-23 under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), to put the proceedings in abeyance, ET has is expected to cite 'changed circumstances' following the Pahalgam attack and its consequent decision to put the treaty in 'abeyance' and seek that, accordingly, the ongoing neutral expert-linked proceedings should be put in part of these proceedings, there is a mutually agreed 'work programme' between India, Pakistan and the World Bank's neutral expert Michel Lino that is likely to be paused, with India seeking abeyance of the IWT dispute resolution mechanism As per the agreed work programme for 2025, Pakistan was to submit its ' counter memorial ' by August 7. The fourth meeting of the neutral expert with the parties was lined up from November 17 to would have been significant as it would have involved presentation of India's memorial and Pakistan's counter memorial, questions by the neutral expert and preparation for the second site visit in India, most likely in reply and Pakistan's rejoinder in January and June 2026 and a possible fifth meeting of the neutral expert with the parties in July 2026 could have been the next on legal opinion on the matter, India is looking to hold back all these proceedings and is expected to soon write to the neutral expert on the same. The communication is likely to be endorsed to the World Bank, it is had reported on April 25 that the Centre was seeking legal opinion on exiting the ongoing neutral expert-led dispute resolution process in which it has actively participated so neutral expert dispute redressal mechanism for Kishanganga-Ratle projects that took off in 2023 has already seen three high-level rounds of meetings in Vienna, sharing of considerable data and documentation and a site visit to the two project areas in India in June 2024.
Hindustan Times
03-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Four hydel projects over Chenab in J&K likely to be commissioned by 2028
The four ongoing hydropower projects in Jammu and Kashmir over the Chenab River and its tributaries are likely to be commissioned in 2027-28, officials privy to the details said on Friday, asserting that India has made steady progress in the works. Chenab river is one of three Western rivers that fall under Indus Water Treaty,1960, which India suspended as part of punitive measures against Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. A total of 26 people, 25 tourists and a local, were killed in the attack at Baisaran meadow. The projects--Pakal Dul (1,000 MW), Kiru (624 MW), Kwar (540 MW) and Ratle (850 MW)--are being implemented through joint venture between NHPC and the Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation (JKSPDC). Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stones of Pakal Dul, Kiru and Kwar projects on May 19, 2018, February 3, 2019, and April 22, 2022, respectively. 'Pakal Dul project has made 66% progress, Kiru 55%, Kwar 19% and Ratle project is 21% complete,' said a senior official of the JKSPDC, requesting not to be named. The official said that for the Kirthai project, 930 MW, a memorandum has been signed between JKSPDC and NHPC and clearances are under process. On Ratle project, he said that a coffer dam, a pre dam structure, was nearing completion. 'We expect it to be completed by November 2028,' he added. The official added that the work on Ratle project gained momentum only after 2023. Pakistan had protested the Ratle and Kishenganga projects, alleging their designs violated the Indus Water Treaty. In June 2024, a five-member delegation from Pakistan and a World Bank-appointed neutral expert, Michel Lino, had inspected the Ratle power project at Drabshalla in Kishtwar. These four projects are expected to generate over 10,541 million units (MU) of electricity annually. J&K has an estimated hydropower potential of 18,000 MW, with 11,283 MW in the Chenab basin alone. However, only 23.81% (3,540 MW) of the total identified capacity has been harnessed to date, the officials said. According to a government document, 15 hydel power projects aggregating 7,768 MW are at currently various stages, with six under construction, two at the award stage and seven at the detailed project report (DPR) clearance stage. Of the total 18,000 MW potential, 3,084 MW is in Jhelum basin and 500 MW in the Ravi basin.
