To stop India’s river water share flowing to Pakistan, Punjab Government on Wednesday demanded Rs 412 crore from the Centre to construct a dam at Makora Pattan on Ravi-Ujj conglomeration, while demanding it to accord it as a national project.

 During a meeting with the Union Minister for Water Resources, Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, Punjab Cabinet Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Tripat Rajinder Singh Bajwa and Water Resources Minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria informed that with the construction of the 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.

Informing about the details of the project proposal, both Ministers said that a seven-km long channel would be constructed to carry through this water to put in Kalanaur-Ramdas Canal System to further utilize to irrigate one 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 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.

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.

Both Ministers also asked Union Minister to decide upon the Centre-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 is being irrigated, but with the completion of this project, the remaining area would also be covered under canal irrigation system,” he said.

Bajwa and Sarkaria also appealed the Union Minister to extend the Jammu-Katra Express Highway project to be constructed by the Centre through Amritsar-Dera Baba Nanak and Kalanaur. “By extending through this project, expressway could be connected to the Kartarpur-Dera Baba Nanak Corridor,” they added.

Agreeing in principle with this new proposal, Gadkari asked the higher officials of his Ministry to present a detailed comparison report after thorough studying new and previous proposals of this project.