Punjab govt seeks Rs 412cr for dam to stop water to Pakistan

Chandigarh: After Union government’s recent announcement to stop flow of water-share flowing to Pakistan, the Punjab government on Wednesday demanded for releasing of Rs 412 crore from the Centre to construct a dam at Makora Pattan on Ravi-Ujj conglomeration and pressed upon the Centre to accord it a national project.

In a meeting with Union minister for water resources, road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari, Punjab minister for rural development and panchayat Tripat Rajinder Singh Bajwa and water resources minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria informed that with the construction of this dam about 600 Cs of river water flowing to Pakistan could be stopped and the state would be able to use this water for irrigation purposes.

The senior Cabinet ministers informed Mr Gadkari of details of the project proposal and said that a 7-km-long channel would be constructed to carry through this water to put it put in Kalanaur-Ramdas Canal System to further utilise to irrigate 1 lakh acre of land already devoid of irrigation facilities. Moreover, with this project the state government would also be able to utilise this water to provide clean drinking water to 100 villages and six townships of this border area, added the ministers.

Both the ministers also appealed the Union minister to approve it as a national project and release the required funds so as to complete this project in shorter span of time to stop water flow towards Pakistan thus to be used it in the interests of country.

Mr Gadkari asked the state government to submit a detailed project report so that all the technicalities must be examined before construction.