Manohar Lal Khattar seeks funds for Lakhwar multi-purpose project

NEW DELHI: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal today visited Lakhwar multi-purpose project site in Uttrakhand and sought funds from the Centre for its early completion.

He called up Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti regarding sanction of funds for completion of the project that is pending since 1987 for want of funds.

The Chief Minister received a positive response from Bharti.

According to a Haryana government statement, construction of the project was discontinued in 1992 for want of funds, after it was started in 1987. Planning Commission of India had accorded its approval for construction of this dam in 1976.

The project was envisaged to supply water to states of Haryana, Uttrakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Rajasthan for irrigation, domestic and industrial purposes.

By 1992, only 30 per cent of work was completed and the central government declared this project as a national project in the year 2008.

The Upper River Yamuna Board was constituted by central government to distribute waters of river Yamuna among beneficiary states. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by these beneficiary states on May 12, 1994.

According to the MoU, Haryana's share of water was fixed at 47.82 per cent. Haryana is proposed to get 1.22 lakh acre feet additional water from Lakhwar dam, a state government statement claimed.

The Lakhwar Multi-purpose project would generate 612.93 million units of electricity annually. The project would help in checking floods and controlled water would flow in the river.

A sum of Rs 392 crore have so far been spent on the construction of this project. The expected cost of water component of this project is Rs 2,578.23 crore on 2012 prices.

The Central government would bear 90 per cent of the expected expenditure of the project. All sanctions, except that of funds, concerning the Central government have been received, the statement added.