Archive · 15 Sep 2026
Centre, Six States Sign Long-Pending Kishau Dam Pact
The government and six states signed an agreement to build the Kishau Dam Project.
The dam will be built on the Tons River, which is connected to the Yamuna.
The project is expected to cost about Rs 15,000 crore.
The central government will pay most of the cost of the water-related part.
Three states will help pay for the power-related work on Himachal Pradesh’s side.
The dam is planned to produce electricity and provide water for drinking and farming.
It could provide irrigation for about 97,000 hectares and 517 MCM of drinking water each year.
The agreement had been delayed because the states disagreed about how to share the costs and benefits.
The Centre and six states signed an MoU for the long-pending Kishau Multipurpose Dam Project in New Delhi.
The project, estimated to cost Rs 15,000 crore, will be built on the Tons River along the Himachal Pradesh-Uttarakhand border.
The Centre will fund 90% of the water component, while Delhi, Rajasthan and Haryana will cover the estimated Rs 2,000 crore power component on Himachal Pradesh’s side.
The 236-metre dam is expected to generate hydropower, create irrigation potential for about 97,000 hectares and supply 517 MCM of drinking water annually.
The revised agreement resolves a dispute over financial responsibilities and is expected to support Yamuna rejuvenation and cooperation among the participating states.
- Who
- The Centre and the governments of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the six state chief ministers participating.
- What
- They signed a Memorandum of Understanding to implement the long-pending Kishau Multipurpose Dam Project.
- When
- The MoU was signed on Tuesday, after the states reached a consensus in June.
- Where
- The agreement was signed in New Delhi; the proposed dam is in Himachal Pradesh’s Sirmour district along the Himachal Pradesh-Uttarakhand border.
- Why
- To resolve disagreements over project financing and benefit distribution and to develop hydropower, irrigation and drinking-water supplies while supporting Yamuna rejuvenation.
Earlier Arrangement and Concerns
Revised Agreement and Support
Financial responsibility
Earlier Arrangement and Concerns
Under an earlier arrangement, Himachal Pradesh was expected to share power-generation costs with Uttarakhand, and a previous Himachal Pradesh BJP government had agreed to contribute Rs 800 crore. The present Congress government opposed the arrangement because of the state’s limited financial resources.
Revised Agreement and Support
Under the revised arrangement, the Centre will bear 90% of the water component’s cost, while Delhi, Rajasthan and Haryana will jointly cover the estimated Rs 2,000 crore power-component cost on Himachal Pradesh’s side.
Expected impact
Earlier Arrangement and Concerns
The prolonged dispute delayed the project and centered on how participating states would share its financial burden and benefits.
Revised Agreement and Support
Supporters, including Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Bhajanlal Sharma, described the agreement as significant for Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and the wider region, citing water supply, hydropower, irrigation and Yamuna rejuvenation benefits.
- Estimated project cost
- Around Rs 15,000 crore
- Dam location
- On the Tons River, along the Himachal Pradesh-Uttarakhand border
- Dam height
- 236 metres
- Central funding
- 90% of the water component’s cost
- Power-component funding
- Delhi, Rajasthan and Haryana will jointly bear the estimated Rs 2,000 crore cost on Himachal Pradesh’s side
- Irrigation potential
- About 97,000 hectares
- Annual drinking-water supply
- 517 million cubic metres
