By Anil K Joseph
Beijing, March 18 – Ahead of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s first visit to India, the two countries have finalised key agreements on water resources, including sharing of flood data on the Sutlej River as well as on the ‘Parechu issue’, official sources said here today.
“We have finalised a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the provision of hydrological information on the Sutlej River in the flood season by China to India,” they told PTI.
The information, the sources said will be useful for flood forecasting and warning purposes and will benefit the States located on the downstream of Sutlej river.
Describing it as a major bilateral agreement, the source said the two-day talks held here between Secretary, Water Resources, V K Duggal and Chinese Vice Minister of Water Resources, Zhai Houhai were held in a “friendly” atmosphere and “fruitful.” India has already signed an agreement with China in 2002 for provision of hydrological information of the Yaluzangbu/Brahmaputra River during flood season by China to India.
The agreement was signed as a follow-up of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by both the Governments during the visit of then Chinese Premier, Zhu Rongji to India in January, 2002.
The two sides also discussed the ‘Parechu issue’ and reached consensus on how to tackle the artificial lake formed in Tibet, the sources said.
