India moves ahead with Ujh Multipurpose Project to boost power and irrigation

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh reviewed the status and phased implementation roadmap of the Ujh Multipurpose Project (MPP) in Kathua district, Jammu and Kashmir. The project on the Ujh River, a tributary of the Ravi, is designed to generate 186‑212 MW of electricity, irrigate about 90,000 hectares across Kathua and Samba districts in J&K and Pathankot and Gurdaspur districts in Punjab, and supply drinking water and industrial water to the region.

Implementation will proceed in phases, with construction beginning while land acquisition continues. The government agency WAPCOS Ltd., under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, is tasked with execution. Conceived nearly a century ago, the project had been delayed for decades; the minister said it is now being fast‑tracked under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. Delays had previously allowed Ravi River waters to flow into Pakistan, despite the Indus Waters Treaty allocating the Ravi, Sutlej and Beas to India.