Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced on Tuesday that Himachal Pradesh will generate an annual revenue of approximately Rs 1,200 crore after the completion of the Kishau electricity project. This landmark agreement marks a decisive step in resolving long-pending water sharing and power generation disputes involving multiple states across northern India, promising a major financial boost for the hill state.
Historic Agreement Signed in New Delhi
The formal agreement for the Kishau project was signed in New Delhi following high-level deliberations between Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini. This multi-purpose project, pending for nearly six decades, brings together six states including Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, and Rajasthan to streamline water distribution and hydroelectric power production in the region.
Zero Financial Burden on Himachal Pradesh
The most striking feature of the agreement is that Himachal Pradesh will not have to spend a single rupee toward the construction of the project. The state's financial share amounting to roughly Rs 800 crore will instead be borne entirely by the beneficiary states that will utilize the water from this project. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had earlier firmly refused to incur any expenditure from the state exchequer, making this a massive political and economic victory for his administration.
211 Megawatts of Free Power Generation
Addressing the media in New Delhi following the signing of the memorandum of understanding, the Chief Minister highlighted that the biggest advantage for Himachal Pradesh is receiving 211 megawatts of power generated from the Kishau Dam with zero production cost. The massive expenses required to build the infrastructure will be paid by the states utilizing the water resources. Describing the state's rivers as flowing gold, he emphasized that Himachal Pradesh is successfully moving toward maximizing the economic returns from its valuable natural wealth.
Geographical Scope and Technical Details of the Project
Proposed across the border of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the multi-purpose Kishau Dam project is planned on the Tons River within the Yamuna basin. The Tons River serves as a major tributary of the Yamuna. With a total generation capacity of 660 megawatts, the project will directly impact 2,092 residents across eight villages in Himachal Pradesh and 3,406 residents across nine villages in Uttarakhand. The reservoir will submerge a total area of 2,950 hectares, comprising approximately 1,498 hectares in Himachal Pradesh and 1,452 hectares in Uttarakhand. The entire project is estimated to cost around Rs 15,000 crore.
