Tuesday, June 28 2005 14:48 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Water Secretaries of India and Pakistan met in New Delhi today (Jun 28, 2005) to sort out differences over Wullar Barrage/ Tulbul Navigation Project on river Jhelum in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Indian side is led by Water Resources Secretary J Hari Narayan while Pakistan's Secretary for Water and Power Ashfaq Mahmood heads a delegation of his country at the two-day talks.

The Water Secretary-level talks are the 10th round of such parleys since 1988 after the dispute arose over the project situated in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Wullar Barrage/Tulbul Navigation project is one of the eight issues of Composite Dialogue Process underway between the two countries.

The dispute relates to construction of the barrage to retain enough water level in Jhelum river for a 20 km navigational route between Baramullah and Wullar in Jammu and Kashmir.

The last round of talks was held in Islamabad in July last year (2004), nearly 6 years after the previous round.

Work to construct barrage on Wullar Lake in Baramulla district of Kashmir began in 1984 but it was halted three years later after Pakistan raised objections dubbing it as a violation of the 1960 Indus Water Treaty.

Pakistan claims that the water flow in the lake would be obstructed once the barrage is constructed.

India dismisses the Pakistani objection, arguing that the project was not aimed at storing water but to maintain better water-level during the lean season between October and February.