Ravi, Beas, Sutlej, Chenab and Jhelum, the tributaries of Indus River, flow from Northwestern India to Eastern Pakistan, where they meet Indus. The river water disputes about sharing these river waters have been a huge problem between India and Pakistan from the moment both the countries have attained Independence.
Both the countries have come to an agreement, Indus Water Treaty, about sharing Indus River and its tributaries water under World Bank supervision in 1960. According to the treaty, Ravi river water completely belongs to India. Hence, Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir governments have decided to build Dams and Barrages to divert Ravi river water completely into India.
Accordingly, They have proposed Ranjit Sagar Dam and Shahpurkandi Dam/ Barrage on the river. These dams will curtail the flow of unutilised water of Ravi river water into Pakistan. But the projects took decades to frutify due to disputes between Pakistan and Jammu & Kashmir governments. While Ranjit Sagar Dam has been completed in 2001, Shahpurkandi project took longer than that.
Finally, the project construction is completed. Soon, the project will start diverting Ravi river water to Jammu & Kashmir state. With this diversion, hectares of land in Kashmir under cultivation. Also, 20% of the electricity power produced by the project will light up many homes in Jammu & Kashmir.