Ujh Multipurpose Project Implementation Review
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh reviewed the status and phased implementation roadmap of the Ujh Multipurpose Project in Kathua district, Jammu & Kashmir, during a meeting with officials from WAPCOS Ltd, a Government of India undertaking under the Ministry of Jal Shakti entrusted with project implementation. The Minister emphasized the need for expeditious implementation to ensure benefits reach people at the earliest, advising WAPCOS to explore innovative solutions while maintaining highest standards of quality, safety, and efficiency.
The project is being implemented in phases, with work commencing while acquisition of remaining land proceeds simultaneously without waiting for completion of the entire land acquisition process. The Ujh Multipurpose Project, located on the Ujh River (a main tributary of the Ravi River), is designed to generate 186 MW to 212 MW of electricity and provide irrigation to approximately 90,000 hectares of agricultural land across Kathua and Samba districts of Jammu & Kashmir and Pathankot and Gurdaspur districts of Punjab. Additionally, the project will supply drinking water to Kathua district and provide industrial water availability.
Dr Singh highlighted that the project, conceived nearly a century ago, had remained in limbo for decades, similar to the Shahpurkandi project which remained pending for about four decades. The delay resulted in waters of the Ravi River and its tributaries continuing to flow into Pakistan. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, these long-pending national projects are being revived with renewed urgency, with the Shahpurkandi project revival in 2019 (now almost complete) and Ujh Multipurpose Project revival in 2026.
The project has significant strategic importance beyond agricultural and power generation benefits. It possesses an important security and border-management dimension and is backed by the Ministry of Home Affairs to restrict unregulated water flows and plug vulnerable cross-border infiltration routes along the riverbed. The project is expected to strengthen agricultural productivity, improve water security, create new economic development opportunities, and contribute to overall socio-economic progress of the Union Territory.
Dr Singh reviewed implementation milestones in detail and stressed the need for close coordination among all stakeholders and effective monitoring for timely execution, assuring WAPCOS of the government's full support and cooperation for successful implementation and timely completion of this prestigious project.