A delegation comprising judge of International Court of Arbitration (ICA) and Indian Secretary Water Resources, are to inspect 969 MW Neelum Jhehlum Hydroelectric Project to weigh Pakistan's arguments against construction of 330 MW Kishanganga Hydroelectric Project in held Kashmir, well informed sources told Business Recorder.

The sources said one member of the delegation has already reached Islamabad whereas others are expected on Friday evening or Saturday.

The delegation will stay in Pakistan for two days.

Pakistan has reportedly failed to offer comments on additional technical data on the controversial 330 MW Kishanganga hydroelectric project provided by India on the instruction of International Court in The Hague (Holland).

India is working day and night on the construction of Kishanganga project and plans to complete the project by February 2014, well before 2016.

Pakistan has also initiated construction work on the 969 mw Neelum Jhlem hydropower project.

The Ministry of Water and Power is reportedly not taking due cognisance of Afghanistan's move to build multi-purpose dams on Kabul river, with India's backing. About 90 percent of Afghanistan's land area is located in the five rivers basins namely Panj-Amu Darya River Basin, Northern River Basin, Harirud-Murghab Basin, Helmand River Basin and Kabul-River Basin.

Pakistan fares worst in terms of availability of power in comparison to other South Asian countries, including India which has ensured hundred percent availability for industry and agriculture.

According to the latest statistics, India's total installed capacity is 176990.3 MW of which coal power share is 96743.38 MW(54.7 percent), gas 17706.75 MW (10 percent share), diesel 1199.75 MW (0.7 percent share) nuclear 4780 MW( 2.7 percent), hydro 38106.4 MW (21.5 percent) and wind etc 18454.52 MW (10.4 percent).

At least 300,000 people fall prey to coal pollution every year as thick fog blanket with high carbon content covers northern Indian and Pakistan every winter due to power generation from coal.

According to a study, 'Underground Coal Gasification' (UCG)--a project initiated by Dr Samar Mubarakmand to generate 100 mw of electricity through UGC of lignite in Thar--is a method of converting unworka

The government has decided, in principle, to convert public and private thermal power plants to cheaper fuels due to rising furnace oil prices and depleting gas quantities, sources close to Minister for Water and Power told Business Recorder.

"We are offering substantial incentives to the IPPs which intend to covert furnace oil technology to cheaper fuels.

The much talked-about Rental Power Plants (RPPs), which were touted as a short-term arrangement to bridge electricity demand-supply gap, are no longer considered a major policy option.

According to the daily power situation report prepared by the National Power Control Centre (NPCC), total power generation of the RPPs on June 25 was only 72 MW at a time when the power shortfall peaked to 5500 M

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Tuesday assured of financing major water and power sector projects without giving guarantee on Diamer Basha dam.

Pakistan and India on Thursday made no headway to resolve Wullar Barrage dispute as both sides were not ready to change their historical stance, informed sources told Business Recorder.

The federal government has decided to revisit gas pricing mechanism for thermal power plants including the Authority competent to make gas allocations to the new power sector, well-informed sources in Petroleum Ministry told Business Recorder.

Presently, Petroleum Ministry is responsible for allocating gas to the power sector on the recommendations of Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPI