Amid tensions between India and Pakistan in the wake of Pulwama terror attack, Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari reiterated that India would not let water from Eastern rivers go into Pakistan and will expedite work on dam projects.
In a tweet on Thursday evening, Gadkari said, "Under the leadership of Hon'ble PM Sri @narendramodi ji, Our Govt. has decided to stop our share of water which used to flow to Pakistan. We will divert water from Eastern rivers and supply it to our people in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab." (sic)
He followed it up with another tweet, "The construction of dam has started at Shahpur- Kandi on Ravi river. Moreover, UJH project will store our share of water for use in J&K and the balance water will flow from 2nd Ravi-BEAS Link to provide water to other basin states." (sic)
Under the Indus water treaty, India has rights over three eastern rivers — Ravi, Beas and Satluj. After the Uri attack in 2016, India had resolved to use Eastern rivers to their full potential for water management, irrigation and power generation. As part of this decision, it fast-tracked work on the Shahpurkandi dam project.
Shahpurkandi Dam project in Punjab on Ravi river. The Union Cabinet approved implementation of this project on December 6 last year along with financial assistance of Rs.485.38 crore for irrigation component. The cabinet note had said that the implementation of this project would help minimising some of the water of the Ravi which at present is going waste through Madhopur headworks downstream to Pakistan.
After this project is completed, it would provide irrigation for 5,000 hectares in Punjab and 32,174 hectares in J&K. It has been declared as a national project.
The Ujh project will store India's share of water for use in J&K and the balance water will flow from 2nd Ravi-BEAS Link to provide water to other basin states.