Kishau Multipurpose Project Agreement Signed
Six states—Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, and Haryana—signed the Kishau Multipurpose Project agreement in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Jal Shakti Minister C. R. Patil. The signing ceremony was attended by Chief Ministers Yogi Adityanath (UP), Pushkar Singh Dhami (Uttarakhand), Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (Himachal Pradesh), Bhajan Lal Sharma (Rajasthan), Rekha Gupta (Delhi), and Nayab Singh Saini (Haryana), along with senior bureaucrats including the Union Home Secretary and Water Resources Secretary.
Project Specifications and Benefits
The Kishau Project involves construction of a 232.6-meter-high concrete gravity dam on the Tons River along the Uttarakhand-Himachal Pradesh border. The dam will have a water storage capacity of 1,562 million cubic meters and is expected to irrigate 97,000 hectares of agricultural land while generating 1,476 million units of clean hydropower annually. Delhi is identified as the primary beneficiary of the project.
Funding Structure and National Project Status
The Government of India has declared the Kishau Project a National Project, with the central government bearing approximately 90% of the financial burden. The remaining 10% will be shared by the participating states according to the 1994 agreement. Uttarakhand received special assurances that the central government would assist in accommodating their demands under various schemes and help bear their financial burden.
Historical Context of Water Dispute Resolutions
This agreement represents the tenth water dispute resolved since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office in 2014. Previous resolutions include: Lakhwar Multipurpose Project (August 2018), Shahpur Kandi Dam Project (August 2018), Renukaji Multipurpose Dam Project (2019), Ken-Betwa Link Project between MP and UP (2021), revised Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal River Link project (2024), Hathinikund to Yamuna underground pipeline scheme (February 2024), Narmada Project rehabilitation dispute (July 2026), and Son Basin water sharing between Bihar and Jharkhand (August 2026).
Environmental and Regional Significance
The agreement addresses a historical oversight where policymakers previously allocated all available Yamuna water to states without reserving any for environmental flow. The Kishau Project will make 25% of water available for the Yamuna River, which is expected to significantly benefit both Delhi and the river's ecosystem. Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed confidence that the Yamuna cleaning goal would be achieved by 2029, which would subsequently contribute to cleaning the Ganga as the Yamuna merges with it at Prayagraj.
Implementation Framework
The agreement builds upon the 12 May 1994 framework that separate agreements would be made for each storage project in the basin. Formal agreement on the Kishau Project was reached on 16 June 2026, following resolutions of the Lakhwar and Renukaji projects in 2019. The Ministry of Jal Shakti led the negotiations, considering technical and economic aspects while safeguarding all states' interests, with support from the Inter-State Council and Ministry of Home Affairs when required.