India has blocked the flow of Ravi River water into Pakistan by completing a long-pending dam project that had been delayed for 45 years. Under the 1960 Indus Water Treaty, which was signed under the supervision of the World Bank, India has exclusive rights to Ravi’s water.

The Shahpur Kandi barrage in Punjab’s Pathankot district was stalled for decades due to a dispute between the Jammu, Kashmir and Punjab governments. As a result, a significant portion of India’s rightful share of water had been flowing into Pakistan all these years.

According to the Indus Water Treaty, India has complete control over the waters of the Ravi, Sutlej, and Beas rivers, while Pakistan has rights over the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab. In 1979, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir agreed to construct the Ranjit Sagar Dam and the downstream Shahpur Kandi barrage to prevent Ravi’s water from reaching Pakistan.

The agreement for the project was signed by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, then Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, and Punjab’s Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. In 1982, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi laid the foundation for the project, which was initially expected to be completed by 1998. While the Ranjit Sagar Dam was constructed in 2001, the Shahpur Kandi barrage remained incomplete, allowing water from the Ravi River to continue flowing into Pakistan.

In 2008, the Shahpur Kandi project was declared a national project, but construction only began in 2013. However, in 2014, work stopped again due to disputes between Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir. Finally 2018, the Centre intervened and mediated an agreement between the two states. Construction resumed soon after, and the project is now complete.

Water that was previously flowing to Pakistan will now be used to irrigate Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua and Samba districts. A total of 1,150 cusecs of water will be used to irrigate 32,000 hectares of land in the Union Territory. Additionally, Jammu and Kashmir will receive 20% of the hydropower generated from the dam.

The Shahpurkandi Dam, standing 55.5 meters high, is part of a larger river valley project that includes two hydropower plants with a combined capacity of 206 MW. It is constructed on the Ravi River, located 11 km downstream from the Ranjit Sagar Dam Project. Apart from benefiting Jammu and Kashmir, the dam’s waters will also support Punjab and Rajasthan.