The long-pending Kishau Dam Project on the Yamuna River has moved a step closer to implementation after six basin states reached a consensus on the sharing of water and power benefits generated by the project.
The agreement was finalized during a meeting of the Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB), where representatives from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand resolved key issues related to the allocation of water resources and hydropower generation from the proposed multipurpose dam.
Located on the Yamuna River near the border of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, the Kishau Dam is one of the largest planned storage projects in the Upper Yamuna basin. The project is expected to play a crucial role in enhancing water security for several northern states while also generating substantial hydroelectric power.
Under the agreed framework, participating states will receive water and power benefits based on predetermined sharing arrangements. The consensus is expected to facilitate the preparation of detailed implementation plans and accelerate progress on a project that has remained under discussion for several decades.
Apart from hydroelectric power generation, the dam is expected to provide significant storage capacity for drinking water supply, irrigation, and flood moderation. The project is also expected to help regulate river flows during lean seasons, benefiting downstream regions that face periodic water shortages.
The development is being viewed as a major breakthrough in inter-state water cooperation, as resolving benefit-sharing arrangements had been one of the key hurdles delaying the project. With the agreement now in place, the project is expected to move toward the next stages of approvals and execution.
Once completed, the Kishau Dam is expected to strengthen water resource management across the Upper Yamuna basin, support agricultural and urban water requirements, improve flood control capabilities, and contribute to the region’s renewable energy generation capacity.