Jammu, Feb. 17 -- The Shahpur Kandi barrage is set for completion by March 31, a move that will effectively plug the outflow of excess water from the Ravi river into Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir jal shakti minister Javed Ahmed Rana said.

Speaking to a news channel over the weekend, Rana said that the project is a priority for the administration, aimed at providing irrigation to the parched Kandi (dry land) belts of Kathua and Samba districts. "Yes, excess water to Pakistan will be stopped. It has to be stopped," Rana said in response to a query regarding the project's impact on cross-border water flow.

The Shahpur Kandi barrage, designated as a national project, was revised after four decades of stagnation following the intervention of P...