Monday, February 17, 2025
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India halts Ravi river flow to Pakistan with completed dam

Srinagar, India: In a significant development, India has successfully stopped the flow of water from the Ravi River into Pakistan by completing a dam that had been pending for 45 years. The Shahpur Kandi barrage, situated in Punjab’s Pathankot district, had faced delays due to a domestic dispute between Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab, resulting in a considerable amount of water designated for India flowing into Pakistan.

Under the 1960 Indus Water Treaty, overseen by the World Bank, India has exclusive rights to the waters of the Ravi River. The treaty delineates full rights for India over the waters of Ravi, Sutlej, and Beas, while Pakistan holds rights over the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers.

In 1979, an agreement was signed between the Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir governments to construct the Ranjit Sagar Dam and the downstream Shahpur Kandi barrage, aimed at stopping water flow to Pakistan. The construction was initiated in 1982, with expectations of completion by 1998. While the Ranjit Sagar Dam was finished in 2001, the Shahpur Kandi barrage faced delays, allowing water from the Ravi River to continue reaching Pakistan.

The Shahpur Kandi project was declared a national project in 2008, but construction only began in 2013. Disputes between Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir in 2014 led to another halt in the project. In 2018, the central government intervened, brokering an agreement between the two states, facilitating the project’s resumption.

With its completion, the water originally destined for Pakistan will now be utilized for irrigation in two crucial districts of Jammu and Kashmir, namely Kathua and Samba. A flow of 1150 cusecs will irrigate 32,000 hectares of land in the Union Territory, and Jammu and Kashmir will receive 20% of the hydel power generated from the dam.

The Shahpurkandi Dam, standing at 55.5 meters high, is part of a multi-purpose river valley project, including two hydel power projects with a combined capacity of 206 MW. Situated on the Ravi River, 11 km downstream from the Ranjit Sagar Dam Project, the dam’s waters will also benefit the states of Punjab and Rajasthan.

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