# Kishau Dam: An 85-Year-Old Plan Inches Forward as a Delhi Meeting Settles an 8-Year Funding Deadlock

> A meeting in Delhi between Amit Shah, CM Sukhu and CM Dhami over the Kishau Dam proposed in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand produced a major decision, untangling a financial dispute stuck for eight years. The cost of what will be Asia's second largest dam has now climbed to around 15000 crore rupees.

**Type:** article · **Category:** Himachal Pradesh · **Published:** 2026-06-17 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/himachal-pradesh/kishau-bandha-85-sala-purana-sapana-aba-hakikata-ke-kariba-delhi-ki-baithaka-men-1400 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** Kishau Dam Project, Tons river, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Amit Shah, National Project, hydropower project

## A Delhi Meeting Clears the Path
A plan first imagined 85 years ago is still waiting to become reality. Over the decades, two state governments and the Centre tried more than once to push it ahead, but each attempt stalled. Now, at a meeting in Delhi on Tuesday involving the Modi government and the chief ministers of Uttarakhand and Himachal, a key decision has finally been taken. The project in question is the Kishau Dam, proposed across Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

On Tuesday in Delhi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah met Himachal CM Sukhu and discussed the Kishau Dam project. Uttarakhand CM Dhami was also present. The meeting produced a major decision that works in Himachal's favour.

## Set to Be Asia's Second Largest Dam
Once built, Kishau will be the second largest dam in Asia. The Tehri Dam, at a height of 260 metres, holds the top spot. Kishau is planned at a height of around 236 metres and will create a lake stretching roughly 32 km.

## A Long Journey From 1940 to Today
The idea of a dam here first came up in 1940, on the boundary of Sirmaur district in Himachal Pradesh and Dehradun district in Uttarakhand. The Punjab government began a survey at the project site in 1944-45, but called it off in 1946 for several reasons. The survey then lay untouched for about 16 years.

The Uttar Pradesh government revived the survey in 1962, and an initial project report was prepared in 1965. That report pegged the dam's height at 235. It was handed to the Centre, and in the same year, 1965, the project was folded into the five-year plan.

After studying the DPR, the Water Commission observed a problem with the project near Kishau village and suggested an arch dam instead of a rockfill dam. The Uttar Pradesh irrigation department then launched a fresh survey in 1970. A new DPR was drawn up in 1978, and a rockfill dam proposal was submitted to the Central Water Commission.

The commission again reviewed the DPR and concluded that the site was not suitable for a rockfill dam, citing geographical difficulties. On that basis it rejected the location near Kishau village and advised choosing a site near Atal, Sambharkheda or Morad. The Sambharkheda site was eventually found suitable for a 236-metre-high dam.

According to the Kishau Dam project website, a DPR for the Sambharkheda location was prepared in 1988, revised by the Uttar Pradesh government in 1998, and submitted to the Central Water Commission. After Uttarakhand was carved out of Uttar Pradesh as a separate state, the project is now overseen by the Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments. A company named Kishau Dam Corporation Limited was set up for this purpose in 2017. Deliberations over the site are still ongoing.

## Which River and How Much Power
The Kishau Dam project is proposed on the Tons river. It will generate 660 megawatts of electricity. Once completed, the project will benefit Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.

## Cost Up From 11500 Crore to 15000 Crore
The project carries an estimated cost of around 11500 crore rupees, though there will be considerable additional spending on top of that. In 2018, the Central Water Commission put the cost at 11500 crore rupees, but by 2026 it has risen to roughly 15000 crore rupees.

## Who Gains, and How Many Are Affected
The project will arrange irrigation water for 97076 hectares of land, along with 617 MCM of water for drinking. It will use 1452 hectares of land in Uttarakhand and 1498 hectares in Himachal Pradesh. On the other hand, nine villages in Uttarakhand and 8 villages in Himachal will be submerged, affecting a total of 5484 people across the two states. This is one reason some people are protesting against the project.

## Why It Stalled and How the Dispute Was Resolved
Himachal Pradesh's previous BJP government had agreed to spend 800 crore rupees on the scheme. But in the meeting with Amit Shah, CM Sukhu managed to get his conditions accepted, and the financial dispute that had dragged on for eight years was resolved. Under the new arrangement, Himachal Pradesh will no longer put money into the project. Himachal's estimated cost of around 2,000 crore rupees will be borne by Delhi, Rajasthan and Haryana. In return, Himachal will earn an annual income of about 600 crore rupees and also receive 100 crore power units. It was this very issue that had kept things stuck for the past 8 years.

Notably, in February 2026 the Himachal government had refused to move ahead with the project. At the time, CM Sukhu said Himachal Pradesh had not received its pending arrears from the Bhakra Dam and so it would not proceed. However, matters were settled in Tuesday's meeting with Amit Shah.

## The Road Ahead
For now, 8.10 crore rupees have been released for the project, and the deadline is to finish it within 96 months of its start. An agreement between the Himachal and Uttarakhand governments was already signed in June 2015. The project was granted national project status in 2008, yet it remains pending even today.

## What this means for you
This project ties directly into water, electricity and the lives of local people.

- **Across India:** Once the dam is built, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Himachal will gain irrigation and drinking water along with 660 MW of power.
- **In Himachal Pradesh:** The state will no longer have to invest in the project and will instead earn about 600 crore rupees a year plus 100 crore power units.
- **In the affected villages:** Nine villages in Uttarakhand and 8 in Himachal will fall in the submergence zone, and 5484 people may face displacement.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. On which river and where is the Kishau Dam being built?
The dam is proposed on the Tons river, on the boundary of Sirmaur district in Himachal Pradesh and Dehradun district in Uttarakhand.

### 2. How much does the project cost?
The Central Water Commission estimated the cost at 11500 crore rupees in 2018, and by 2026 it has risen to around 15000 crore rupees.

### 3. What was decided at the Delhi meeting?
In the meeting with Amit Shah, CM Sukhu got his conditions accepted and the eight-year financial dispute was resolved, under which Himachal will no longer invest money in the project.

### 4. How many people will the dam affect?
Nine villages in Uttarakhand and 8 villages in Himachal will be submerged, affecting a total of 5484 people across the two states.

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