PATHANKOT, Sept 18: Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Thursday said the revival of the Ujh Multipurpose Project will significantly benefit both Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir, addressing long-pending water and security concerns. He recalled that the project was first proposed nearly a century ago.
Speaking during his visit to flood-hit villages in Sujanpur, Pathankot, Dr Singh said the project will optimise utilisation of Eastern River waters (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej) allocated to India under the Indus Water Treaty. Once completed, the project will irrigate nearly 90,000 hectares of agricultural land in Gurdaspur and Pathankot in Punjab, and Samba and Kathua in Jammu & Kashmir.
Highlighting security concerns, Dr Singh added that the project will help control uncontrolled water flow that often damages farmland, BSF establishments, and also provides vulnerable routes for cross-border infiltration. The Ministries of Defence and Home Affairs have intervened to expedite the project from a security perspective, he said.
Drawing a parallel, the Union Minister recalled that the Shahpur Kandi dam project on river Ravi, stalled for decades, was revived only after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention.
During his two-day tour of flood-affected areas, Dr Singh visited several villages including Kailashpur, Pangoli, Polla, Kohlian, and others, meeting victims and assessing damages. He directed authorities to ensure immediate relief, quality reconstruction, and fair compensation for affected families.
Deputy Commissioner Pathankot Aditya Uppal briefed the Union Minister that around 250 houses were damaged in Sujanpur, while more than 1,500 people were affected. In Pangoli, 25 houses belonging to SC families and six acres of crop land were damaged. However, no casualties were reported.
Dr Singh assured victims that both state and central authorities are committed to their rehabilitation and that Prime Minister Modi is personally monitoring the relief and reconstruction work across Punjab’s flood-affected districts.