Pathankot, November 5:
On the sacred occasion of the Parkash Purab of the first Sikh Guru, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann today gifted the people of state a landmark project worth Rs 3394.49 crore by formally inaugurating the Shahpur Kandi Project, which will significantly boost the state’s electricity generation and irrigation facilities.
Congratulating everyone on the Guru’s Parkash Purab while dedicating the project to the people, the Chief Minister said that today marks a historic day for the nation especially for Punjab. He expressed heartfelt gratitude on behalf of all Punjabis to the engineers, employees, and laborers who worked tirelessly day and night to turn this dream project into reality. Bhagwant Singh Mann said the dam project will prove to be a blessing for farmers, industrialists, traders and common citizens.
The Chief Minister said that 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 said that apart from it the project will also create large-scale employment opportunities for the youth. Bhagwant Singh Mann envisioned that the Shahpur Kandi Dam will be the lifeline of Punjab, especially for the Majha region. The Chief Minister said that he was confident that this dam will illuminate lakhs of homes and brighten countless lives.
Sharing detailed information about the project, he said the Shahpur Kandi Dam Project is being constructed at a cost of Rs 3394.49 crore, out of which Punjab is contributing Rs 2694.02 crore (around 80%), while the remaining Rs. 700.45 crore (20%) is being funded by the Government of India. Bhagwant Singh Mann further mentioned that 3171.72 acres of land have been acquired for the project out of which 1643.77 acres is in Punjab and 1527.95 acres in Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking about irrigation benefits, the Chief Minister said the project will provide irrigation facilities to 5000 hectares (12,500 acres) of land in Punjab, bringing water to farmlands in Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, and other districts of the Majha region. He said that it will also ensure a continuous irrigation supply to 1.18 lakh hectares under the Upper Bari Doab Canal system. Bhagwant Singh 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) because there was no downstream reservoir to store water, resulting in excess water flowing unused into Pakistan.
However, the Chief Minister said that with the commissioning of the Shahpur Kandi Dam, water released from Ranjit Sagar Dam will now be stored in the new 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 stands 55.5 meters high and includes a 7.7 km-long hydel channel. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that two powerhouses with a total capacity of 206 MW are being constructed, and nearly 75% of the work has already been completed.
The Chief Minister said that the project will be fully operational and dedicated to the people by March 2026, marking the beginning of electricity production. Highlighting its irrigation significance, he mentioned that the construction of three new canals linked to the dam is also in the final stages. Additionally, Bhagwant Singh Mann said that a large lake has been created upstream of the Shahpur Kandi Dam, which will be developed as one of Punjab’s premier tourist destinations in the coming years.
The Chief Minister said that the dam will give a major boost to water sports across North India and that Shahpur Kandi Dam, Ranjit Sagar Dam, and Chamrod will together be developed as a world-class tourism hub. He added that several companies have already shown keen interest in developing tourism projects in these areas, and discussions are ongoing. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that several reputed companies are deeply interested in the natural beauty of this region adding that there is tremendous potential here to promote tourism and create livelihoods.”
On this occasion, Cabinet Ministers Lal Chand Kataruchak and Barinder Kumar Goyal, along with Chief Secretary KAP Sinha were also present.
