Punjab CM inaugurates Shahpur Kandi project in Pathankot
Dedicating the project to the people, the chief minister expressed gratitude to the engineers, employees and labourers who worked tirelessly day and night to turn this dream project into reality.
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday inaugurated the ₹3,394-crore Shahpur Kandi Project in Pathankot district, which will significantly boost the state’s electricity generation and irrigation facilities.
Dedicating the project to the people, the chief minister expressed gratitude to the engineers, employees and labourers who worked tirelessly day and night to turn this dream project into reality. He said the dam project will prove to be a blessing for farmers, industrialists, traders and common citizens, and also create large-scale employment opportunities for the youth.
The chief minister said Punjab, being an agrarian state, will gain immensely from this project, as it will not only increase power generation but also provide extensive irrigation facilities. He expressed confidence that this dam will illuminate lakhs of homes and brighten countless lives.
Sharing details about the project, he said Punjab and central government funded the project in the 80:20 ratio, with the state government contributing ₹2,694 crore and the Centre ₹700 crore.
A total of 3,171 acres of land were acquired for the project, of which 1,643 acres are in Punjab and 1,527 acres in Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking about irrigation benefits, the chief minister said the project will provide irrigation facilities to 5,000 hectares (12,500 acres) of land in Punjab, bringing water to farmlands in the Majha region.
Mann elaborated that before the construction of the Shahpur Kandi Dam, the Ranjit Sagar Dam Power House could not operate at its full capacity of 600 MW during peak hours (morning and evening) in the absence of a downstream reservoir to store water, resulting in excess water flowing unused into Pakistan.
However, with the commissioning of the new dam, the released water will now be stored in its reservoir, enabling optimal power generation during high-demand hours and ensuring a steady supply of water for irrigation.
He shared that the Shahpur Kandi Dam stood 55.5 metres high and included a 7.7 km-long hydel channel.
“Two powerhouses with a total capacity of 206 MW are being constructed, and nearly 75% of the work has already been completed. The construction of three new canals linked to the dam is also in the final stages,” said Mann.
Additionally, a large lake has been created upstream, which will be developed as one of Punjab’s premier tourist destinations in the coming years, the CM shared.
“Together, Shahpur Kandi Dam, Ranjit Sagar Dam and Chamrod will be developed as a world-class tourism hub. Several companies have already shown keen interest in developing tourism projects in these areas, and discussions are ongoing,” he said, adding that there was tremendous potential here to promote tourism and create livelihoods.