To stop India’s river water share from flowing to Pakistan, the Punjab government Wednesday demanded for releasing of Rs 412 crore from the Center to construct a dam at Makaura Pattan, the confluence of the Ravi and Ujh rivers, and pressed upon the Center to accord it status of a national project. During a meeting with Union Minister for Water Resources Nitin Gadkari, Punjab Minister for Rural Development and Panchayats Tripat Rajinder Singh Bajwa and Water Resources Minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria told him that with the construction of this dam about 600 cusecs of river water flowing to Pakistan could be stopped and the state would be able to use this water for irrigation purposes. They 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 utilize to irrigate 1 lakh acre of land already devoid of irrigation facilities. Moreover, with this project the state government would also be able to utilize this water to provide clean drinking water to 100 villages and 6 townships of this border area, a statement said. Both the ministers also appealed to the Union Minister to approve it as a national project and release the required funds so as to complete this project in a short span. Giving in principle approval to this project, Gadkari asked the state government to submit Detailed Project Report (DPR) so that all the technicalities must be examined before constructing this project of national importance, said the statement. Both Cabinet Ministers also asked Union Minister to decide upon the Center-State funding pattern for already approved project of strengthening and up-gradation of Upper Bari Doab Canal (UBBD). “At present only 2.76 lakh hectare out of total area of 5.13 lakh hectare was being irrigated, but with the completion of this project the remaining area would also be covered under canal irrigation system.
