A model of Shahpur Kandi dam (Image courtesy: PSPCL)

JAMMU: India is preparing to stop surplus water from the Ravi flowing into Pakistan once the Shahpur Kandi dam on Punjab-J&K border becomes operational, marking a long-awaited shift in use of eastern river waters of Indus basin.J&K minister Javed Ahmed Rana said Monday the dam is expected to be completed by March 31 and is a priority for drought-prone Kathua and Samba districts. Officials said the project will irrigate about 5,000 hectares in Punjab and more than 32,173 hectares across Kathua and Samba in J&K. Central assistance of Rs 485.38 crore was approved for the irrigation component.Former irrigation minister Taj Mohideen said the dam falls outside Indus Waters Treaty because India has exclusive rights over the Ravi. Rana added that suspension of the treaty has accelerated power and dam projects in J&K.The 1960 treaty divides the Indus system’s waters, designating eastern rivers (Sutlej, Beas, Ravi) to India and western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) to Pakistan. India put the treaty in abeyance after the April 2025 terrorist attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people, a sharp policy shift aimed at pressuring Pakistan over cross-border terrorism.The move halted data sharing and opened the door for greater use of western river waters.Part of the Ravi flows unused through Madhopur into Pakistan despite demand in Punjab and J&K, Rana said, stressing that the dam would curb such wastage. Projects like Shahpur Kandi are critical to reallocating flows towards domestic irrigation and away from downstream discharge.The project was first cleared in Nov 2001 but stalled for years amid interstate disputes. After a series of bilateral and central meetings, Punjab and J&K reached an agreement in Sept 2018. Union cabinet chaired by PM Narendra Modi approved implementation on Dec 6 that year.Bani MLA Dr Rameshwar Singh said residents had waited years for completion. “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,” he said.