LAHORE: A delegation headed by Pakistan Indus Basin Commissioner Mirza Asif Baig will leave for India today (Sunday) as India approved site inspection of the 140 megawatt Miyar Powerhouse on the River Chenab in Indian-occupied Kashmir.

According to the Ministry of Water and Power, the delegates from Pakistan will at first reach New Delhi and later proceed to Kashmir. Changing the route of the Miyar Valley associated with the River Chenab, the site inspection of 140 megawatt powerhouse would continue from September 21 to 24.

Officials said Mirza Asif Baig will demand the data related to water flowing from the River Chenab at Salal and Baglihar during the flood season from his Indian counterpart Shri K Vohra.

Pakistan has been insisting on Miyar powerhouse’s inspection from the past two years.

Earlier, Pakistan Indus Basin Commissioner Asif Baig Mirza had canceled the scheduled visit to India over India’s refusal to let Pakistan inspect the disputed proposed powerhouse on the River Chenab in Indian- occupied Kashmir.

India had reportedly finalized plans to build four powerhouses consisting 2,110 megawatts at part of the River Chenab that falls in Indian-occupied Kashmir. Pakistan had objected to all four power projects as per the bilateral Indus Basin Treaty and according to a mutual agreement in September last year, India had promised to let the Pakistan Indus Basin Commissioner inspect the site and the project. Indian Indus Basin Commissioner Shri K Vohra was supposed to send his Pakistani counterpart the inspection schedule between March 2 and 4 this year but the inspection plan for the said 120 megawatt powerhouse was dropped.

The Pakistan Indus Basin Commissioner has informed his Indian counterpart through a letter about the cancellation of his visit. The same letter proposes inclusion of the disputed powerhouse and holding negotiations during last week of March.—NNI