India to Halt Ravi River Water Flow to Pakistan with Shahpur Kandi Dam Completion
India is preparing to stop surplus water from the Ravi river from flowing into Pakistan once the Shahpur Kandi dam on the Punjab-Jammu and Kashmir border becomes operational, marking a long-awaited strategic shift in the utilization of eastern river waters within the Indus basin.
Dam Completion and Irrigation Benefits
Jammu and Kashmir minister Javed Ahmed Rana announced on Monday that the dam is expected to be completed by March 31 and is a high priority for the drought-prone Kathua and Samba districts. Officials detailed that the project will irrigate approximately 5,000 hectares of land in Punjab and more than 32,173 hectares across Kathua and Samba in Jammu and Kashmir.
Central assistance of Rs 485.38 crore has been approved specifically for the irrigation component of the project. Former irrigation minister Taj Mohideen clarified that the dam falls outside the scope of the Indus Waters Treaty because India holds exclusive rights over the Ravi river waters.
Indus Waters Treaty Context and Policy Shift
The 1960 Indus Waters Treaty divides the waters of the Indus river system, designating the eastern rivers—Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi—to India and the western rivers—Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab—to Pakistan. India placed the treaty in abeyance following the April 2025 terrorist attack in Pahalgam that resulted in 26 fatalities, representing a sharp policy shift aimed at pressuring Pakistan over cross-border terrorism.
This suspension halted data sharing between the nations and opened opportunities for India to make greater use of western river waters. Minister Rana emphasized that part of the Ravi river currently flows unused through Madhopur into Pakistan despite significant demand in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir, stressing that the Shahpur Kandi dam will effectively curb such wastage.
"Projects like Shahpur Kandi are critical to reallocating water flows towards domestic irrigation needs and away from downstream discharge into Pakistan," Rana added, noting that the treaty's suspension has accelerated power and dam projects in Jammu and Kashmir.
Project History and Implementation
The Shahpur Kandi dam project was initially cleared in November 2001 but faced years of delays due to interstate disputes between Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir. After a series of bilateral and central government meetings, the two states reached an agreement in September 2018.
The Union cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the implementation of the project on December 6 of that year. Bani MLA Dr. Rameshwar Singh expressed that residents have waited years for the dam's completion, stating, "Once it is completed, the water will no longer flow into Pakistan but will instead be used to irrigate our own vast areas in Kathua."
This development represents a significant step in India's water resource management strategy, aligning with broader efforts to maximize domestic utilization of river waters under the revised approach to the Indus Waters Treaty.
