“Situated in Punjab’s Pathankot district, Shahpur Kandi barrage had been held up, resulting in a substantial portion of India’s water flowing into Pakistan over years”
NEW DELHI: After nearly five decades of waiting, India has ceased the flow of water from Ravi River into Pakistan by constructing a dam. This move comes as a result of the completion of the Shahpur Kandi barrage, a project that had been delayed for 45 years due to internal disputes between the states of Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab.
The construction of the dam marks a significant development, as India holds exclusive rights to the water of the Ravi River under the 1960 Indus Water Treaty, overseen by the World Bank.
Situated in Punjab’s Pathankot district, officials said, the Shahpur Kandi barrage had been held up by disagreements between Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab, resulting in a substantial portion of India’s water flowing into Pakistan over the years.
According to the provisions of the Indus Water Treaty, India retains full control over the waters of the Ravi, Sutlej, and Beas rivers, while Pakistan holds rights over the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers.
A file photo of Shahpur Kandi Dam project in Punjab, India. Photo/Open SourceEfforts to curtail the water flow into Pakistan began in 1979 when the governments of Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir signed an agreement to construct the Ranjit Sagar Dam and the downstream Shahpur Kandi barrage. The agreement was signed by the then Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and his Punjab counterpart Parkash Singh Badal.
In 1982, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi laid the foundation of this project, which was expected to be completed by 1998. Although the construction of the dam was completed in 2001, the Shahpur Kandi barrage faced numerous delays, allowing water from the Ravi River to continue flowing into Pakistan. In 2008, the Shahpur Kandi project was designated as a national project, but construction only commenced in 2013. Disputes between Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir further stalled the project in 2014.
Finally, in 2018, the central government intervened and brokered an agreement between the two states, enabling the resumption of construction. The project has now been successfully completed, and the diverted water will be used to irrigate about 32,000 acres of land with 1150 cusecs of water in key districts of Jammu and Kashmir – Kathua and Samba. Additionally, Jammu and Kashmir will receive 20% of the hydroelectric power generated by the dam.
The Shahpur Kandi Dam, standing at 55.5 meters high, is part of a larger multi-purpose river valley project that includes two hydropower projects with a combined capacity of 206 MW. Positioned on the Ravi River, 11 km downstream from the Ranjit Sagar Dam Project, it will not only benefit Jammu and Kashmir but also Punjab and Rajasthan.
Meanwhile, concerns have been raised by civil society organisations urging both India and Pakistan to review the water sharing agreement to restore the natural flow of rivers, including the Ravi.
Participants in a rally in Lahore recently emphasised the need to address environmental degradation caused by sewage drainage into the Ravi and other neglected rivers.
Abuzar Madhu of the Ravi Bachao Tehreek stressed the importance of rejuvenating the natural flow of the Ravi to tackle sewage accumulation, which poses a threat to public health and the ecosystem.
The rally, which commenced at the National College of Arts in Lahore, concluded at the Ravi riverbed, with participants advocating for the protection of life and wildlife dependent on the river.
