Directs to complete construction work at the earliest
Chandigarh/Pathankot, June 19:
Punjab Water Resources Minister S. Chetan Singh Jouramajra today inspected the under-construction Shahpurkandi Dam and associated power houses and directed to expedite the construction work to ensure timely completion of the project so that its complete benefits in the shape of irrigation and power can be accrued.
Accompanied by Chief Engineer (Dams Administration) S. Sher Singh and other senior officials, the Cabinet Minister reviewed the progress of work at the main dam site as well as the power houses facilities being built in the villages of Kamuyal and Madhopur.
During the visit, Jouramajra was apprised that the dam administration has already initiated the process of filling the reservoir lake since October last year. Irrigation water is also being supplied to low-lying areas by increasing power generation from the Ranjit Sagar Dam Project. The project was conceived during the year 1999 and could not progress due to various reasons, however about 65% works of this project have been completed during the last two years only, the officials mentioned.
S. Chetan Singh Jouramajra instructed the officials to complete the remaining construction work of the barrage dam on a priority to enable complete filling of the reservoir during the upcoming monsoon season. He also directed them to expedite the construction of the power houses.
Addressing the media, Chetan Singh Jouramajra said that upon completion, the Shahpurkandi Barrage Dam will significantly augment Punjab’s power generation capacity. The project is expected to produce 206 MW of electricity from the Shahpurkandi Power Houses, in addition to the 600 MW generated by the Ranjit Sagar Dam Project.
The Punjab government is committed to the timely completion of the Shahpurkandi Dam project, which holds immense importance for meeting the state’s irrigation and power requirements, the Cabinet Minister affirmed.
Earlier, the Cabinet Minister paid tributes at the memorial built in the memory of those who were martyred during the construction of the dam, at the Ranjit Sagar Dam.
