LAHORE, Oct 25: India has accepted the Pakistani claim of ‘drop in Chenab flow during August and September’ but has sought time to visit the Marala Headworks near Sialkot to verify the data furnished by Pakistan.

Indus Water Commissioner Syed Jamaat Ali Shah made the claim on Saturday while talking to journalists on his return from India where he had gone to plead Pakistan’s case. Dilating upon decisions of the meeting, he said the Indian side had conceded that there was a drop of inflow in Chenab in the months of August and September.

However, they wanted to visit the river site before agreeing to a compensation of 0.2 million acre feet water, which Pakistan had asked for. “Pakistan has made it clear that it wants water during the next Rabi season,” he said.

The Indus Commissioner, however, could not explain how the Indians would be able to verify the Chenab flow (during the months of August and September) right now. The only thing they would have is data, which Pakistan has already furnished during the meeting.

Shah, nevertheless, maintained that since the Indians wanted to visit the site before reaching a final decision about compensation, the Pakistani side had agreed to it. The date of the visit, however, is yet to be finalised.

“The Indians have conceded drop in the inflows and they have to compensate Pakistan,” he said and added: “The delegation made it clear that Pakistan suffered because of the Indian tempering of water flows. The Indians had compensated Pakistan in case of Salal Dam and Pakistan wanted to be compensated on the same pattern again.”

Talking about options that Pakistan intended to follow if the Indians failed to compensate or used the timing of the visit as a delaying tactic, the Indus Commissioner said that Pakistan would wait for the result of their visit before deciding the future course of action. The Commissionerate would furnish the result before the government, which, in turn, would decide which route it wanted to take.

Talking about the construction of more dams on Chenab, he said that Pakistan would have no objections to these structures as long as they followed the treaty provisions. Under the Indus Basin Treaty, the Indians could create projects but they should ensure a minimum flow of 55,000 cusecs at Head Marala.

He said the design of the Baglihar Dam was as per instructions of the neutral expert and the Indians had not made any changes in it. Pakistan only wanted to ensure treaty provisions and would not let anyone violate them at any cost, he added.