Kishau project deal ends 32-year deadlock, to benefit 6 states and revive Yamuna flow

Six states signed the Kishau Multipurpose Project agreement in New Delhi after years of talks. The move clears a long-stalled Upper Yamuna dam project aimed at water supply, irrigation and cleaner river flow.

In Short

• Centre will bear 90 per cent of the project's estimated cost, states 10 per cent
• The dam will rise on the Tons river along Uttarakhand-Himachal Pradesh border
• Planned storage is 1,562 million cubic metres with irrigation for 97,000 hectares

A 32-year-old deadlock over the Kishau Multipurpose Project ended on Tuesday as six states signed an agreement in New Delhi in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil. The chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi signed the agreement, paving the way for the long-pending project on the Tons river to move ahead.

The project is expected to strengthen water availability and irrigation across the six states, while also providing clean hydropower. For Delhi, one of its key expected benefits is an improved environmental flow in the Yamuna.

The Kishau project traces its roots to an agreement signed on May 12, 1994, concerning projects in the Upper Yamuna Basin. Under that framework, separate agreements were to be reached for individual storage projects.

However, technical, financial and inter-state issues kept the Kishau project stalled for more than three decades. The process gained momentum after disputes over the Lakhwar and Renukaji projects were resolved in 2019.

According to Amit Shah, formal agreement on the Kishau project was reached on June 16 after sustained discussions between the Centre and the six states. Tuesday's signing marks the latest step towards taking the project forward. Shah described the agreement as a major example of cooperative federalism, saying all six states had come together to reach a consensus on a sensitive water-sharing issue.

90% PROJECT COST TO BE BORNE BY CENTRE

The Kishau project has been declared a national project, with the Centre set to bear around 90 per cent of its estimated financial cost.

The remaining 10 per cent will be borne by the participating states in accordance with the 1994 agreement.

Shah also referred to Uttarakhand's financial constraints and said the Centre would seek to accommodate the state's demands under its schemes and help it meet the financial burden arising from the project.

The Home Minister said the Kishau agreement was the 10th major water-related dispute or project issue to be resolved during the Modi government's tenure through consensus.

He credited sustained dialogue through regional councils, along with coordination between the Ministry of Jal Shakti, the Home Ministry and the states, for helping resolve long-pending issues.

232.6-METRE DAM ON TONS RIVER

The Kishau Multipurpose Project envisages a 232.6-metre-high concrete gravity dam on the Tons river, along the Uttarakhand-Himachal Pradesh border.

The project is designed to store around 1,562 million cubic metres of water. It is expected to provide irrigation to approximately 97,000 hectares of land and generate around 1,476 million units of clean hydropower.

Apart from irrigation and power generation, the project is intended to support drinking-water requirements and maintain environmental flows in the Yamuna.

Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh will be the principal geographical areas associated with the dam and reservoir, while Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan are expected to benefit from improved water availability and irrigation.

WHY DELHI STANDS TO GAIN

For Delhi, the most significant aspect of the project is its potential to improve the Yamuna's environmental flow.

Shah said an important gap in the existing Yamuna water-sharing arrangement was that adequate water for maintaining the river's ecological health had not been factored into the allocation.

Under the Kishau project, around 25 per cent of the water is expected to be important for maintaining the Yamuna's environmental flow.

The Centre has linked the project to efforts to clean and revive the Yamuna in Delhi. Shah said improving the river's condition was also important for the cleanliness of the Ganga, as the Yamuna eventually joins the Ganga at Prayagraj.

FROM WATER DISPUTES TO COOPERATION

The agreement is being projected by the Centre as an example of states moving from disputes over water sharing towards cooperation on water resources.

Shah said resolving inter-state water issues was particularly challenging because water is a limited resource and demand is rising due to population growth, agriculture, urbanisation and industrial development.

He described the agreement as an example of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Team India" approach and the principle of resolving long-pending issues through dialogue.

With the agreement now signed, the focus shifts to implementation. Construction, environmental clearances, rehabilitation, financial management and coordination between the six states will determine how quickly the decades-old project moves from paper to the ground.

- Ends