New Delhi, Feb 22 (IANS): Even as Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari announced the decision to stop to Pakistan India's share of waters from eastern rivers, it has emerged that the Union Cabinet had taken a decision in December last on implementation of Shahpurkandi Dam national project on river Ravi in Punjab that would involve "minimising" flow of water to Pakistan.

The Cabinet on December 6, 2018 cleared a central assistance of Rs 485 crore for irrigation component that would be provided over five years from 2018-19 to 2022-23.

"Implementation of this project would help minimising some of the water for the River Ravi which at present is going waste through the Madhopur Headworks downstream to Pakistan," an official release said on the day the Cabinet cleared the decision.

On the impact of the project, the release had said some of the water of the River Ravi at present was going waste through the Madhopur Headworks downstream to Pakistan whereas there was requirement for the same for use in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir. Implementation of the project would minimise such wastage of water, it said.

Gadkari, while tweeting about the decision to stop its share of Ravi waters to Pakistan, had said "Under the leadership of Hon'ble PM Sri @narendramodi ji, Our Govt. has decided to stop our share of water which used to flow to Pakistan. We will divert water from Eastern rivers and supply it to our people in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab."

"The construction of dam has started at Shahpur- Kandi on Ravi river. Moreover, Ujh project will store our share of water for use in J&K and the balance water will flow from 2nd Ravi-BEAS Link to provide water to other basin states," he said in another tweet.