NEW DELHI: The long-pending Kishau Multipurpose Dam Project moved a step closer to implementation on Monday, with Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan reaching a consensus on the project during a high-level meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi, officials said.
The agreement marks a significant breakthrough in inter-state water cooperation and river basin management among the six states.
The meeting marked a major step forward in the implementation of one of the most important water infrastructure projects in northern India, which has remained under discussion for several decades due to issues related to cost-sharing, water allocation and coordination among participating states, they said.
The consensus was achieved among the governments of the participating state , as all of them agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the implementation of the project.
Following the signing of the MoU, the project will be placed before the Union Cabinet for final approval, the officials informed.
The development reflects the Centre’s broader approach of resolving complex and long-pending issues through dialogue and consensus-building, as the present government has consistently emphasised cooperative federalism and inter-state coordination to address matters of national and public interest, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a statement.
The Kishau Multipurpose Dam Project is planned on the Tons River, the largest tributary of the Yamuna, along the border of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
The project has long been viewed as a critical intervention for augmenting water availability in the Yamuna basin, improving drinking water supplies, generating hydroelectric power and regulating river flows.
The officials believe that the project will play a crucial role in enhancing the flow of fresh water into the Yamuna, particularly during lean seasons. Increased environmental flows are expected to contribute significantly to efforts aimed at rejuvenating the river and improving water quality downstream, they added.
One of the key outcomes of the MoU was the agreement on the financial structure of the project. According to the MHA statement, the water component of the Kishau Multipurpose Dam Project will receive substantial support from the Central Government, which will bear 90 percent of the cost as central assistance. The remaining 10 percent of the expenditure will be shared among the six participating states, it added.
The states also arrived at a mutually acceptable arrangement concerning the power component of the project, as it was agreed that the water allocation originally earmarked for Himachal Pradesh would be supplied to Delhi and Rajasthan in return for their sharing of the cost associated with Himachal Pradesh’s portion of the power component.
The agreement is expected to remove one of the major hurdles that had delayed the project’s implementation and pave the way for its early execution.
The meeting witnessed participation from senior leaders and officials from both the Centre and the participating states. Among those present were Union Ministers Manohar Lal and CR Patil and chief ministers of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand.