Kishau Multipurpose Dam Project: Six States Sign Historic Agreement for Yamuna Rejuvenation

Six states came together with the Centre in New Delhi on 15th September, 2026, to formally sign the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for the Kishau Multipurpose Dam Project. Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, and Haryana put pen to paper in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, marking a major breakthrough for water-sharing cooperation in the upper Yamuna basin.

Six States Sign Agreement for Kishau Multipurpose Dam Project

Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, and Haryana signed the MoA for the Kishau project. The signing ceremony wasn't a standalone event; it built on years of negotiation between the basin states. Along with the chief ministers, Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, and senior officials from the participating states attended the hour-long meeting.

28 MoAs Were Signed Among the Six States and the Centre

Nearly 28 separate agreements were inked during the meeting, covering different aspects of cooperation between the six states and the central government. Kishau is actually the third such project to reach the agreement stage; the Renuka Ji and Lakhwar multipurpose projects had already secured their agreements earlier and are currently under construction.

Kishau Multipurpose Project Signed for Rejuvenation of Yamuna River

The Kishau project traces its roots back to a 1994 MoU, when upper Yamuna basin states first agreed on how to share the river's usable surface water up to the Okhla Barrage. That understanding always envisioned separate agreements for individual storage projects, and Kishau is the latest to fulfill that promise, following a consensus reached at an earlier meeting in June.

1. The original MoU was signed on May 12, 1994, by the basin states
2. It called for building storage projects to make better use of the Yamuna's flow
3. A follow-up meeting on June 16 built consensus on moving ahead with Kishau
4. The project will now go before the Union Cabinet for final approval

Construction of Kishau Multipurpose Dam Project

The dam is coming up on the Tons River, a key tributary of the Yamuna, spanning Uttarakhand's Dehradun district and Himachal Pradesh's Sirmaur district.

1. A 232.6-metre-high concrete gravity dam is planned.
2. Live storage capacity will reach 1,562 million cubic meters.
3. Kishau Corporation Limited, a joint venture between Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, will execute the project.
4. The Centre will bear 90% of the water component's cost, with the six states sharing the remaining 10%.
5. Himachal Pradesh agreed to share its water allocation with Delhi and Rajasthan in exchange for help covering its share of the power component cost.

Benefits of Kishau Multipurpose Dam Project

Once complete, the project promises wide-ranging gains for the region:

1. Irrigation support for nearly 0.97 lakh hectares of farmland.
2. Annual power generation of around 1,476 million units.
3. A steady boost to drinking and industrial water supply, especially for Rajasthan and Delhi.
4. Stronger water security across the upper Yamuna basin.
5. A cleaner, more rejuvenated Yamuna River with improved water flow.