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Special
Reports/Water Crisis |
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Water War
May Extend Kashmir's Dark Phase
SRINAGAR, Pakistan has set a December 31 deadline for stoppage
of work on a US $800 million hydroelectric project under
construction in Indian-administered Kashmir, which could spark
tensions between the subcontinental rivals and prolong the
power crisis in the state.
Pakistan - which has gone to war thrice with India - is
concerned over the construction of a reservoir for the 450
megawatt (MW) project on the Chenab river, claiming that it
violates a 43-year-old water-sharing treaty.
After the Indian side downplayed Pakistan's fears, saying it
would press ahead with the project which the power-starved
state desperately needs, Pakistan asked the World Bank to
intervene.
The Bank, which brokered the 1960 Indus Water Treaty, stands
as its guarantor. According to the treaty, third-party
intervention is permissible in case of a deadlock over any
issue.
The Chief Minister of Indian-administered Kashmir, Mufti
Mohammad Sayeed, says the Pakistanis are unduly nervous. "We
have no plans to stop water in the reservoirs. Pakistan's
objections are unacceptable and should be withdrawn," he
remarks.
The June 1999 launched Baglihar project is slated to begin
generating power by late 2004. "The project would go a long
way in helping the power-starved state become self-reliant,"
says Power Minister Muhammad Sharief Niyaz.
Worse, Pakistan's objections come at a time when US $2 billion
has already poured into infrastructure, involving the work of
thousands of engineers and laborers.
India's federal government has sanctioned a grant of US $126
million for the project and Indian commercial banks have
committed US $300 million.
And in a landmark legislation last week, the state's lawmaking
assembly amended the Transfer of Property Act, facilitating
investment by Indian financial institutions and banks in the
project in lieu of mortgaging state land.
But with Pakistan threatening arbitration, the dark phase may
be prolonged in the insurgency-torn region where
round-the-clock power supply is a distant dream.
Kashmir is currently facing a daily seven-and-a-half-hour
power cut. The average per capita electricity consumption is
223.7 kilowatt (KW) hours, much below the national average of
349.1.
The irony is that the state has abundant water resources to
generate 20,000 MW of power, but less than ten per cent of it
has been exploited.
"This is partly because of the Indus Water Treaty which bars
the state from harnessing the water resources and partly
because the Indian government is less interested in the
state's industrial development," complains lawmaker and a
senior leader of the opposition National Conference, Ali
Muhammad Sagar.
"Our demand shoots up to 850 MW during peak hours but the
local generation is less than 100 MW," points out the chief
engineer of the Power Development Department (PDD), Syed
Khursheed.
The shortfall is made up by bulk import of electricity. "We
have entered into an agreement with the Power Trading
Corporation of India for supply of 100 MW in peak hours and
200 MW during off peak hours from November 2003 to the end of
February 2004," says Niyaz.
Such power-packed imports don't help in balancing the state's
books.
According to the Power Ministry, by the end of March 2004, the
current year's expenditure on electricity imports will total
US $360 million.
Kashmir's power plants are also plagued by idle capacity, with
many small ones producing 63 MW against a capacity of 240 MW.
"Generation dips due to the decrease in water levels in winter
and because of technical faults," points out Khursheed.
The Kashmir Valley also boasts the 380 MW Uri Hydel Project,
but as it is owned by the National Hydel Power Corporation
(NHPC), a federal agency, the state gets just 12.5 per cent of
the power generated as royalty.
A diesel-run gas turbine plant exists in the outskirts of the
capital, Srinagar, but the daily expenditure for running the
gas turbine amounts to US $200,000, which the cash-strapped
state can ill-afford.
Kashmir's major worry is how to keep its electricity books in
some shade of black. While the government had set a target of
US $145 million, in the past nine months, the revenue
collection has grossed just US $20.6 million.
Bills worth US $80 million are pending against various
government departments. These departments and the security
forces together consume 44 per cent of the state's total
power.
There are glitches in transmission and distribution too.
Experts admit that 40 per cent of electricity is lost due to
faulty infrastructure.
According to the authorities, around 250 villages in Kashmir,
mainly along the Line of Control that divides Kashmir between
India and Pakistan, still remain without power.
Says a senior official, "Due to heavy snowfall, many of these
villages got cut off 12 years ago and the supply was not
restored afterwards."
Militancy has also affected the power sector in Kashmir. In
2000 and 2001, transmission towers were mysteriously blown up,
upsetting power supply for months. Officials blamed
separatists but no arrests were made.
Curtesy:
OneWorld.net
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Pakissan.com;
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