The crucial 330 MW Kishanganga Hydro Electric Project that Pakistan has been so vehemently opposed to, is on the list of priorities for the Prime Minister’s Office. The PMO, it is learnt, has directed the Power Ministry and the Jammu and Kashmir government to expedite work on the crucial project to get it commissioned at the earliest.
PM Narendra Modi, who reviewed the progress of vital infrastructure projects in the railway, road and power sectors on Tuesday, told officials that the work on the two major Kishanganga transmission lines that are to be commissioned along with the first unit of the mega project, should be completed within the stipulated time.
India’s plans to construct a number of dams along Pakistan’s western rivers has rattled the neighbour. Pakistan has also engaged the World Bank to arbitrate what it terms as India’s violations of the Indus Waters Treaty.
The projects got a leg up after Prime Minister Modi announced in January that India could consider scrapping the IWT altogether. “Blood and water cannot flow together,” he had said, much to the chargin of Pakistan.
Two transmission lines -- the Kishanganga-Amargarh and the Amargarh-Wagoora lines -- are to be commissioned by the Power Ministry.
Jammu and Kashmir government’s Chief Secretary BR Sharma, who participated in the video conference, was asked to expeditiously acquire and hand over the land required for the first line this month itself and has set June as the deadline for the second line.
The first line is likely to be commissioned in November later this year whereas the second line is expected to be commissioned by next March.
The project is crucial because Pakistan has been consistently objecting to it. The Kishanganga Hydro Electric Project is to be completed in three units of 110MW each.
Last month, India had put on hold a World Bank-facilitated initiative for water secretary-level talks with Pakistan in Washington, owing to differences of opinion on technical issues on the Indus river hydro-projects like Kishanganga.
At the meeting, the PM also asked states to come up with strategies, time bound action plans and roadmap and a monitoring mechanism to complete projects in time and avoid additional expenditure.
He also called for the use of latest technology inputs to improve the pace and quality of work.
