Interstate pact clears way for Kishau dam; focus on irrigation, power and Yamuna rejuvenation
The chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Haryana on September 15 signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for the construction of the Kishau multipurpose project in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, marking a major step in cooperative management of water resources in the upper Yamuna basin.
Senior officials from the Union Jal Shakti Ministry and the Department of Water Resources attended the ceremony, which also saw the participation of Union Minister for Jal Shakti C.R. Patil, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, the Department of Water Resources secretary and the chief secretaries of the participating states. Nearly 28 MoAs were executed between the six states and the central government at the meeting.
Project scope and technical parameters
The Kishau scheme is planned on the River Tons, a principal tributary of the Yamuna, with project components located in Uttarakhand’s Dehradun district and Himachal Pradesh’s Sirmaur district. The agreement envisages construction of a concrete gravity dam reaching a height of 232.6 metres with a live storage capacity of 1,562 million cubic metres.
| Parameter | Figure |
|---|---|
| Dam type | Concrete gravity |
| Height | 232.6 m |
| Live storage | 1,562 million m3 |
| Irrigation potential | ≈ 97,000 hectares |
| Estimated power generation | ≈ 1,476 million units per year |
According to officials, stored waters from the Kishau project will support irrigation and augment drinking and industrial water supplies downstream — with specific benefit projections cited for Rajasthan and the National Capital Territory of Delhi — and contribute to efforts aimed at rejuvenating the Yamuna.
Institutional arrangement and implementation
The project is slated to be implemented by Kishau Corporation Limited, a joint venture between the governments of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The MoA is the third construction agreement executed by the six states; earlier project-specific agreements have been signed for the Renuka ji and Lakhwar multipurpose projects, which are already under construction, officials said.
- Signatories included chief ministers from six states and senior Union ministers.
- Central and state secretaries and chief secretaries were present to finalise implementation modalities.
- The meeting lasted about an hour, according to officials.
Officials described the Kishau MoA as reflecting a collective commitment to optimal utilisation of the Yamuna basin's water resources and cited cooperative federalism as a guiding principle for the accord.
Regional implications and next steps
If implemented as planned, Kishau is expected to expand irrigation coverage by roughly 97,000 hectares and add close to 1,476 million units of electricity annually to the grid. The project’s live storage will also be used to stabilise flows into the Yamuna, which planners expect will support downstream water supply and environmental goals.
Officials at the signing indicated the project will proceed under the operational oversight of Kishau Corporation Limited. The agreement sets the framework for further detailed engineering, environmental and social impact assessments, land acquisition and funding arrangements that will have to be finalised before construction advances, according to accompanying statements from state and central representatives.
Two earlier multipurpose projects in the basin — Renuka ji and Lakhwar — are already in construction, and the Kishau MoA represents the third construction-level agreement among the basin states and the Centre. The cumulative portfolio of projects is intended to address irrigation shortages, boost power supplies and improve water security across the upper Yamuna catchment and downriver regions.
Officials framed the agreement as a milestone in intergovernmental cooperation for water resource development while emphasising that detailed project clearances, financing and environmental safeguards remain to be completed as part of the implementation phase.
