Pondage still 11 meters below the required level
*Says committee on dam safety yet to submit report
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, May 18: The Punjab Government has not given any specific timeline for the release of water from Shahpurkandi Dam Project on Ravi River to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and conveyed that committee constituted to ensure compliance of the parameters of National Dam Safety Authority has yet not submitted its report. Moreover, pondage of the reservoir is still 11 meters below the required level.
Last month, the concerned authorities in the Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir sent a letter to the Chief Engineer (Canals) of the Punjab Government seeking clarity on when allocated 1150 cusecs of water from Ravi River will be released to J&K.
Recently, J&K received a communication from the Chief Engineer (Canals) of adjoining State but no specific timeline regarding release of water has been mentioned in the same, reliable sources told EXCELSIOR, adding “in the letter, the Punjab Government has simply mentioned that it is committed to provide due share of water to J&K as and when all the procedural formalities are completed for full pondage of the reservoir”.
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They further informed, “it has also been mentioned in the communication that a committee constituted by the Government of Punjab has yet not submitted report regarding full compliance of the parameters of National Dam Safety Authority whose mandate is to ensure the safety and proper functioning of the dams through a combination of regulatory oversight, technical assistance and collaboration with dam owners”.
“The filling of the reservoir was started in November 2024 and in the month of January this year the significant level was achieved. Since then the structural behavior of the dam is being constantly observed”, sources further informed.
Disclosing that pondage of reservoir continues to be at 390 meters, sources said, “unless level of water increases to 401 meters J&K cannot get water from Shahpurkandi Dam as such the concerned authorities of J&K UT are constantly monitoring the level of storage through different means”, adding “if need arises the higher authorities of J&K UT will intervene and take up the matter with top level in the Government of Punjab so that clear picture emerges about the hurdles in release of water to J&K”.
As per the agreement, J&K will get due share of 1150 cusec of water from Ravi River and the same will provide irrigation facility to 32173 hectares of land in Kathua and Samba districts. For this gravity-fed irrigation technique, which is simpler than the lift technique, will be used by the Irrigation and Flood Control Department.
“The dam will act as a balancing reservoir to ensure steady supply of water to the downstream canal system and to make the best use of release from the nearby Ranjit Sagar Dam. Moreover, the dam will provide silt-free water to existing and planned powerhouses”, sources said.
The Irrigation Department of Government of Punjab has completed civil works of the Shahpurkandi Dam, which was declared as National Project by the Union Ministry of Water Resources in the month of February 2008 while as electro-mechanical works have been carried out by the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited.
The power plant, which is part of this prestigious project, is likely to be completed by ending this year. The plant will have seven units-six units of 33 Mega Watts each and one unit of 8 MW. The 206 Mega Watts power plant will generate 1042 million units of electricity annually and J&K will also get its share from that.
It is pertinent to mention here that Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while presenting regular budget for Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir for the financial year 2024-25, had stated in the Parliament that work on Shahpurkandi dam project has progressed well and will shortly help Jammu and Kashmir get its due share of 1150 cusec water from the River Ravi.
The project faced many hurdles right from very beginning due to the dispute between the Governments of J&K and Punjab. The work also remained suspended on the project for many years and finally the same was resumed in 2018.
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