Kisan Board Pakistan (KBP) has urged the government to take immediate notice of Indian efforts of buying carbon credits for its seven hydropower projects to be built on Sindh, Chenab and Jhelum rivers.

The Board said that this effort of India is aimed at to give legal cover to its water projects planned on rivers of Pakistan.

The Planning Commission has projected 292 per cent increase in the cost of 969 MW Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project to Rs 331 billion from original cost of Rs 84.5 billion approved in 2002 due to poor planning by Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda).

Official documents available with Business Recorder reveal that the project is likely to be completed in June 2016 - a claim not considered credible by analysts.

Although Pakistan has opened up its borders for enhanced trade with India, water disputes remain unresolved which several analysts, including US officials as noted in Wikileaks, believe may well be the reason for a war between the two countries.

India has already announced it would complete 330-megawatt Kishanganga hydroelectric project by 2014 despite the fact that the issue is pending in the International Court of Arbitration (ICA)/ neutral expert at The Hague in the Netherlands.

A high-level team of water commissioners from India and Pakistan and members of the International Court of Arbitration on Thursday inspected the 330-megawatt Kishanganga Hydro Power Project in north Kashmir's Bandipura district.

The seven-member team, including a hydrologist, reached Gurez where they inspected the proposed dam site near Malik Kadal, a Kashmir news agency quoted a senior official as saying.

The team has come to inspect the project before the next hearing of the International Court of Arbitration being held at The Hague later this month.

To generate 37.5 MW, irrigate 8,742 hectares in Mendhar tehsil
Poonch: After facing a delay for more than two decades, the government has finally started work on the 37.5 MW Parnai Hydroelectric project. The work on the project was stopped in 1990s after the eruption of militancy in the state.

The World Bank will provide about $850 million for the Tarbela 4th Extension Project, which is expected to be completed in four years and generate 1,410MW additional electricity.

This was stated by Wapda Member (Water) Syed Raghib Abbas Shah while addressing a delegation of Pakistan Navy War College here. After completion of Tarbela 4th Extension Project, the generation capacity of Tarbela Power Station will rise to 4,888MW.The Member (Water) said that in view of the increasing needs of water and power in the country, Wapda is implementing a number of projects in the two sectors.

No Objection Certificate` (NoC) given by Azad Jammu and Kashmir Environmental Protection Agency (AJK-EPA) to Wapda for construction of Neelum-Jhelum Hydroelectric Project (NJHP) would be key issue of agreement between AJK government and Wapda on the project, it was learnt on Wednesday.

The Indus Water Treaty has now become ineffective as India is continuously violating all clauses of the treaty and Pakistan is not challenging them at any international forum by tacit approbation. International Water Expert Engr Bashir Malik, who has served United Nations and World Bank as chief technical adviser on Thursday said the cheapest and environment-friendly solution to water and energy crisis in Pakistan was the Kalabagh Dam, which could only be built by a patriotic and brave leader having the courage to break all the barriers in the best national interest.

Kisan Board Pakistan (KBP) claimed on Monday that India has allocated billions of rupees for a project to divert Chenab River for its usage and depriving Pakistan from its share of water.

KBP President, Sardar Zafar Hussein Khan, in a statement alleged that the Pakistan's government was playing the role of a silent spectator over Indian designs of connecting 30 controversial rivers and diverting the water of Chenab River for its usage and depriving Pakistan from its due share.

Pakistan has informed the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) that the diversion of River Neelum’s water by India’s controversial Kishanganga project can treacherously decrease the water availability in River Neelum by 14 percent, which will consequently cause Pakistan an annual loss of $321 million.