Given that India intends to stop the flow of excess water from the Ravi to Pakistan, Pakistan's water problems could get worse as summer approaches. According to Jammu and Kashmir Minister Javed Ahmed Rana, the Shahpur Kandi dam on the Punjab-Jammu and Kashmir border is almost finished, thanks to the Indus Waters Treaty's suspension.
The minister stated that a long-awaited change in the use of the eastern river waters of the Indus basin will occur when the dam is completed and India is able to stop the flow of surplus water from the Ravi River into Pakistan.

According to Rana, the Shahpur Kandi dam's construction is anticipated to be finished by March 31. The water it produces would be redirected to the drought-prone districts of Kathua and Samba.We will cease sending too much water to Pakistan. It must be put an end to. This project, which is our top priority, is being built for the Kandi area, while Kathua and Samba districts are experiencing drought," he told reporters.
Concerning the Project for the Shahpur Kandi Dam
Presently, excess water from the Ravi River enters Pakistan, a downstream or lower riparian nation, via Madhopur. This water will be redirected to Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab by the dam.In order to prevent the flow of Ravi water into Pakistan, the Shahpur Kandi Dam Project was envisioned in 1979, over fifty years ago. In 1982, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi lay the project's foundation stone. However, internal disputes between the governments of Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab forced the building to stop. The project was designated a national project in 2008.
It is being built for Rs 3,394.49 crore, of which Punjab is donating Rs 2,694.02 crore (about 80%), with the Indian government covering the remaining Rs 700.45 crore (20%). The dam has a hydel channel that is 7.7 km long and is 55.5 meters high.

Officials estimate that the project will contribute to the irrigation of around 32,173 hectares in Kathua and Samba, Jammu and Kashmir, and roughly 5,000 hectares in Punjab.

According to former irrigation minister Taj Mohideen, India has exclusive rights over the Ravi, hence the Indus Waters Treaty does not regulate the dam's operation.

Treaty of the Indus Waters
A day after terrorists with ties to Pakistan killed 26 civilians in Pahalgam on April 23, 2025, India officially put the Indus Waters Treaty "in abeyance" and, for the first time since 1960, made a clear connection between water cooperation and Pakistan's ongoing use of terrorism as a tool of state policy.
The action, which coincided with Operation Sindoor, signaled a dramatic change in India's approach toward Pakistan: collaboration cannot go on in the face of animosity.

Since Islamabad's water storage capacity just covers a month's flow, the Indus River system provides almost 80–90% of Pakistan's agricultural output.

Under the terms of the treaty, India owned the Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej rivers, while Pakistan owned the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab. The Center is moving forward with a number of hydropower projects in the Indus basin, including Sawalkote, Ratle, Bursar, Pakal Dul, Kwar, Kiru, and Kirthai I and II, while the pact is now on hold. India made the decision to expedite the Sawalkote project earlier this month.