As Pakistan prepares for a punishing summer, fresh concerns are emerging over its already fragile water security. With the Indus Waters Treaty currently suspended, Islamabad now faces another challenge: India’s decision to halt the surplus flow of the Ravi River into Pakistan once the Shahpur Kandi barrage becomes operational at the end of March.
For decades, excess waters of the Ravi flowed across the border due to limited storage infrastructure on the Indian side. That dynamic is set to change in April, when the completed Shahpur Kandi Dam will begin redirecting water toward irrigation needs in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.
‘Excess Water To Pakistan Will Be Stopped’
Jammu and Kashmir minister Javed Ahmed Rana confirmed that the project would be completed by March 31. He said the primary aim was to support drought-prone Kathua and Samba districts, as per India Today.
According to officials, the diverted water will provide irrigation relief to thousands of hectares in Kathua and Samba, regions that have long struggled with erratic rainfall and water shortages.
A Project Decades In The Making
The Shahpur Kandi barrage was first conceived in 1979 as part of a broader plan to maximize India’s use of the eastern rivers allocated under the Indus Waters Treaty. Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi laid its foundation stone in 1982, with an original completion target of 1988.
While the upstream Ranjit Sagar dam was completed in 2001, progress on Shahpur Kandi stalled for years due to disputes between Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir. In 2008, the Centre declared it a national project, and construction formally began in 2013. However, work was halted again in 2014 amid fresh disagreements.
A breakthrough came in December 2018, when the Modi government facilitated an agreement between the two states and announced a Rs 485 crore grant to revive construction. The dam — 55.5 meters high with a 7.7 km hydel channel — is being built at a cost of Rs 3,394.49 crore, with Punjab contributing 80 percent and the Centre funding the remaining share.
Strategic Shift After Treaty Suspension
At present, surplus Ravi waters flow downstream through Madhopur into Pakistan. Once operational, the barrage will channel this water toward irrigation in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir, reducing cross-border outflow.
Former irrigation minister Taj Mohideen has pointed out that the Indus Waters Treaty does not apply to the Ravi, as India retains exclusive rights over its waters, reported NDTV. However, tensions escalated after the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025 that killed 26 civilians, following which India formally suspended the treaty.
For Pakistan, where nearly 80 percent of farmland depends on the Indus river system, reduced flows pose significant economic risks. Agriculture contributes roughly a quarter of the country’s GDP and supports major urban centers including Lahore and Multan.
