5 states & Delhi sign Kishau Project on Tons river, a Yamuna tributary

New Delhi: The Kishau Multipurpose Project agreement was signed by Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi at a meeting presided over by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday.

Shah said the government will bear approximately 90% of its financial burden, while the remaining 10% will be borne by the participating states in accordance with the 1994 agreement. He said the Uttarakhand government had certain difficulties. "On behalf of the union government, we have assured them that efforts will be made to accommodate their demands under government schemes, and going forward, we will assist Uttarakhand in bearing the financial burden that may fall upon the state," Shah said.

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Shah added that a 232.6-metre-high concrete gravity dam will be constructed on the Tons River, which flows along the border of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, with a water storage capacity of 1,562 million cubic metres. It will irrigate 97,000 hectares of land and generate 1,476 million units of clean hydropower. He said Delhi will be the biggest beneficiary of the project.

Shah said that when the waters of the Yamuna were allocated, there was a serious lapse on the part of policymakers. The environmental flow of the Yamuna was not calculated at all, and all the available water was distributed among the states. No water was left for the river itself. He said 25% of the water will become available through the Kishau Multipurpose Project Agreement, which will prove extremely beneficial for both Delhi and the Yamuna. It will also contribute to environmental conservation.