by Maleeha Sofi
SRINAGAR: India is considering a major expansion of the historic Ranbir Canal on the Chenab River in Jammu, potentially tripling its water-carrying capacity and extending its reach. The move is seen as part of a broader effort by New Delhi to assert greater control over the Indus river system in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam massacre.
According to a Reuters report citing internal government documents and multiple sources, the upgraded canal could stretch to 120 kilometres and handle up to 150 cubic metres of water per second, up from its current 40 cubic metres. The expansion, if approved and executed, would significantly enhance India’s ability to draw water from a river designated largely for Pakistan’s use under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty.
Reuters quoted six sources familiar with the matter as saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked officials to expedite plans for new infrastructure on the Chenab, Jhelum, and Indus rivers. Among the options being considered is a redistribution of water from these rivers into others within Indian territory, thereby reducing flows into Pakistan. An internal note prepared by a government firm, reportedly drafted after the Pahalgam attack, suggested such redistribution could span across three northern Indian states.
The proposed expansion of the Ranbir Canal, a 19th-century engineering feat, would mark a bold new chapter for a project that has long shaped Jammu’s agricultural and urban landscape.
The canal’s origins trace back to the rule of Maharaja Ranbir Singh, though its successful execution occurred under Maharaja Pratap Singh (1885–1925). Before its construction, irrigation in the Jammu plains was limited and uneven. Areas west of the Chenab were somewhat served by the Pratap Canal (1900–1905), but large stretches in Jammu, Samba, and RS Pura tehsils depended on rain-fed farming and unreliable wells.
Early attempts to draw water from the Chenab, including the Shahi and Rajpura canals, failed due to technical miscalculations. However, in 1903, under Pratap Singh’s reign, engineer Lala Tej Ram conducted detailed surveys for a new canal, later known as the Akhnoor Canal. The project was completed in 1912 for Rs 36.5 lakh, with a design revised by Rai Sahib Makkan Lal to ensure a consistent year-round water supply. The canal’s intake was set one foot below the river’s lowest winter flow level, allowing gravity to drive a steady discharge of 720 cusecs.
Spanning 59.55 kilometres, from Akhnoor to Jammu (26.55 km) and from the Tawi crossing to RS Pura near the Punjab border (33 km), the canal crossed several seasonal streams and passed beneath the Tawi River via a masonry super-passage. A network of 17 distributaries extended the irrigation reach to 274 kilometres. A 26-foot waterfall in Jammu enabled the city’s first hydroelectric plant, replacing steam power and introducing electricity as early as 1909.
This system transformed agriculture in the region. Farmers in RS Pura began growing rice and sugarcane in place of traditional millets. The prized basmati of RS Pura owes much of its success to canal irrigation. Horticulture and vegetable cultivation also flourished, reducing reliance on imports from Punjab. At its peak, the canal irrigated over 108,000 acres at a rate of 150 acres per cusec.
Today, the Ranbir Canal faces growing threats from urban encroachment, pollution, and neglect. Residential sprawl along its banks has degraded water quality and reduced its efficiency. Experts warn that without intervention, the canal could lose its historic role in sustaining agriculture and providing clean water to the region.
Yet, the proposed expansion has revived hope that the canal can be revitalised and redefined. It is not only a functional waterway but also a heritage asset and an engineering landmark, a symbol of the region’s development through innovation.
Amidst these developments, the Jammu and Kashmir administration is ramping up activity on the Chenab basin’s hydropower front. On Thursday, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo visited Kishtwar district to inspect two major hydropower projects: the under-construction 850 MW Ratle and the operational 390 MW Dul Hasti plants.
At the Ratle site in Drabshalla, Dulloo reviewed the progress on the coffer dam, power intake structure, underground powerhouse complex, and tail race tunnel. He urged project teams to accelerate work to meet targets. At Dul Hasti, he evaluated the plant’s performance, met with engineers, and asked officials to resolve pending issues swiftly.
He later chaired a high-level meeting with representatives from the NHPC and Chenab Valley Power Projects Limited (CVPPL), the two corporations managing these large-scale energy initiatives.
