Shahpur-Kandi power project to be completed by Sept 15: Union minister

Hindustan Times

2 days ago

Union minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Wednesday said that the Centre has speeded up languishing projects in Jammu region to ensure optimal use of river waters. Union minister Jitendra Singh (File)
He also informed that the last phase of Shahpur Kandi project, a national project, which was also revised after four decades following the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will be completed by September 15.
'The water will start flowing through it for the generation of electricity,' he said at a DISHA meeting. The project aims to minimise the excess water of the River Ravi going through the Madhopur Headworks downstream to Pakistan. The water will instead be used in J&K and Punjab.
'There's a good news to share that the Ujh multipurpose project, which was conceived nearly 100 years ago in 1920s by the then Maharaja Hari Singh, has now been revived and a coordination working group has been constituted of the JK UT officers and the central UT officers,' he said.
He further said that Ujh multipurpose project also received an impetus because of the intervention of the home ministry and the defence ministry, who are also now keen to take up the project in order to check the infiltration route through the river Ujh. 'Once this project becomes functional, it will provide irrigation to thousands of hectares of land, which could go up to even 90,000 hectares. For the surplus water not to be allowed to flow into Pakistan, an alternate plan is also being jointly prepared by J&K, Punjab and central government,' he added.
India has kept Indus Water Treaty (IWT) in abeyance following Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 that left 26 tourists dead and scores injured. Indus Waters Treaty was signed between India and Pakistan in 1960 for sharing of Indus waters.
Under Indus water treaty, three eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej) were given to India and the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) were given to Pakistan, with India permitted limited, non-consumptive use of the latter.
Since then India has made a steady progress on four ongoing hydel power projects over Chenab river and it's tributaries in J&K and they are likely to be commissioned in 2027-28.
Chenab river is one of three western rivers that fall under Indus Water Treaty (IWT) of 1960, which India has kept in abeyance following Pahalgam terror attack.
Industrial biotech park to become functional soon
Dr Jitendra Singh also emphasised that the industrial biotech park in Barnoti, 11th such industrial park in the country and first in north India, will become functional in the next few weeks with the involvement of public private participation. 'This will create avenues of jobs, manufacturing and business for the youngsters in various areas of bio-manufacturing and hospital instruments,' he said.
The minister said that Kathua was the first district to come up with family bunker system in the border villages, covering about 2,000 families. 'The other border areas are also now following this as a role model. Meanwhile, 1,048 additional bunkers have also been proposed which will bring the total number of family bunkers in the Kathua border areas to nearly 3,000,' he said.
The meeting was attended by MLA Jasrota Rajiv Jasrotia, other MLAs from the district, and senior officers of the district administration.