Kishau Dam Pact Ends Decades-Long Wait: How Mega Project Could Reshape Yamuna Water Sharing

New Delhi: A project that has remained stuck for years over inter-state coordination has finally crossed a major hurdle. The Centre and six Upper Yamuna basin states have signed the agreement for the long-pending Kishau Multipurpose Project, setting the stage for a dam that is expected to serve multiple needs, from irrigation and electricity to drinking water and the rejuvenation of the Yamuna.

The agreement was signed on Tuesday in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah by the chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Haryana. The project will now be placed before the Union Cabinet for approval.

The bigger significance of the agreement lies beyond the signing ceremony. Once implemented, the Kishau project is expected to create a major water storage facility in the Upper Yamuna basin and strengthen water availability for a region that includes the national capital and Rajasthan.

Why Kishau Has Taken So Long To Get Here

The Kishau project is not a new proposal. Its roots go back to the Upper Yamuna basin water-sharing agreement signed by the basin states on May 12, 1994.

The 1994 MoU provided for sharing the utilisable surface water of the Yamuna up to the Okhla Barrage and recognised the need for storage projects in the Upper Yamuna basin. It also provided that separate agreements would be signed for individual storage projects within the broader water-sharing framework.

Renuka Ji and Lakhwar were among the identified projects, with project-specific agreements for both already signed and construction underway. Kishau is now the third project to get its own construction agreement.

A fresh push came on June 16, when Amit Shah chaired a meeting at the Ministry of Home Affairs involving the concerned states. The states reached a consensus on moving ahead with Kishau and agreed to sign an MoU for its implementation. Nearly three months later, the formal MoA has been signed.

A 1,562 MCM Reservoir: Where Will The Water Go?

The Kishau project is planned on the Tons River, one of the major tributaries of the Yamuna, in Uttarakhand's Dehradun district and Himachal Pradesh's Sirmaur district.

At the heart of the project will be a 232.6-metre-high concrete gravity dam, creating a reservoir with a live storage capacity of 1,562 million cubic metres (MCM).

The stored water is expected to have benefits far beyond the immediate project area. Around 0.97 lakh hectares of agricultural land is expected to receive irrigation benefits. The reservoir will also be used to augment drinking and industrial water supplies, with Delhi and Rajasthan among the key beneficiaries.

For the national capital, the project could add to long-term water security. For Rajasthan, where water availability remains a major challenge, the additional supply could have significance for both drinking and industrial requirements. The project is also expected to contribute to the rejuvenation of the Yamuna by helping increase the river's flow.

Power, Water And A Crucial Cost-Sharing Formula

Kishau is not only a water-storage project. It is also expected to generate around 1,476 million units of electricity every year. But the financing arrangement is among the most important decisions taken with the agreement. The Centre will provide 90 per cent of the cost of the water component as central assistance. The remaining 10 per cent will be shared by the six participating states.

Another significant decision concerns Himachal Pradesh's share of water and the project's power component. The states have agreed that Himachal Pradesh's share of water will be allocated to Delhi and Rajasthan. In return, the cost of Himachal Pradesh's portion of the power component will be shared.

The arrangement is expected to increase the flow of clean water in the Yamuna while creating a framework for sharing both the project's costs and benefits.

Who Will Implement The Project?

The Kishau Multipurpose Project will be implemented by Kishau Corporation Limited, a joint venture between the governments of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The project is estimated at around ₹15,000 crore, making the latest agreement significant not just from a water-management perspective but also in terms of the financial commitment required to take it forward.

Nearly 28 MoAs were signed between the Centre and the six states during Tuesday's meeting. Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, the Secretary of the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, and the chief secretaries of the participating states were also present. The meeting lasted around an hour.

With the Kishau MoA now signed, the immediate next step is Union Cabinet approval. If cleared, the project will move closer to implementation after years of discussions between the Centre and the Upper Yamuna basin states. Officials have described the agreement as an example of cooperative federalism, with the Centre and the six basin states coming together to pursue the long-pending project.