Early Times Report
Jammu, May 9: In a major boost to irrigation and agriculture in the Jammu region, water from the Shahpur Kandi Dam has finally begun flowing into the Main Ravi Canal, marking the realization of a decades-old dream for thousands of farmers in the Kandi belt of Kathua, Samba and Jammu.
The development comes nearly a year after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, and is being seen as a transformative step that will improve irrigation, reduce power costs, and strengthen water security in the region.
Announcing the milestone, Jammu and Kashmir’s Minister for Jal Shakti, Forest, Ecology and Environment, and Tribal Affairs, Javed Ahmad Rana, described it as a defining moment for Jammu’s irrigation landscape.
In a post on social media, Mr Rana said that after more than four decades, the Main Ravi Canal is now carrying water from the Shahpur-Kandi project, replacing expensive lift irrigation systems with an efficient gravity-based network. He said the achievement would result in substantial savings in electricity, enhance resilience following recent flood damage, and ensure reliable irrigation ahead of the Kharif sowing season.
The minister added that the Jammu and Kashmir Government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, remains committed to modern infrastructure development, water security, and building a more sustainable and farmer-centric future.
Constructed at a cost of around ₹3,300 crore on the Ravi River in Punjab’s Pathankot district, the Shahpur Kandi project is designed to irrigate approximately 32,000 hectares of land in Jammu and Kashmir and another 5,173 hectares in Punjab. It will also generate 206 megawatts of hydroelectric power, significantly enhancing regional energy capacity.
For farmers in the drought-prone Kandi belt, the project represents a long-awaited breakthrough. For decades, large tracts of fertile land remained underutilized because of inadequate irrigation, forcing cultivators to depend largely on rainfall. With assured water supply, these once-parched areas are expected to turn into productive agricultural zones, boosting crop yields and improving rural incomes.
The project’s journey was marked by prolonged delays. The foundation stone was laid in 1995 by former Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao, but disputes between Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir, along with financial and administrative hurdles, stalled progress for years and pushed up costs substantially.
The deadlock was eventually resolved with the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the support of the Union Government, which arranged funding through National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development.
Experts believe the project will have far-reaching benefits. Besides ensuring irrigation for hundreds of villages, it is expected to reduce the impact of seasonal droughts and floods, improve agricultural productivity, and stimulate tourism and local economic activity. Jammu and Kashmir is also entitled to 20 percent of the electricity generated by the project at a concessional rate, further strengthening the region’s resource base.
Agriculture experts say the completion of the Shahpur Kandi project will transform the fortunes of lakhs of farmers who have struggled for generations with dry and unproductive land. What was once synonymous with scarcity in the Kandi belt is now poised to become a symbol of prosperity and rural renewal. |
