Daijiworld Media Network - Jaipur
Jaipur, Sep 15: Aiming to push long-pending water projects in North India, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the Kishau Multipurpose Project was signed on Tuesday in New Delhi among six participating states at a meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, alongside the chief ministers of the other participating states, signed the agreement in the presence of Union Minister for Jal Shakti C.R. Patil.
The Kishau project is set to play a pivotal role in addressing the drinking water and irrigation requirements of Rajasthan’s water-scarce Shekhawati region, particularly Sikar, Churu, and Jhunjhunu. Proposed on the Tons River—a major tributary of the Yamuna along the border of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh—the project is estimated to cost approximately Rs 15,000 crore. It will generate hydroelectric power and benefit Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana.
Under the revised framework, a portion of Himachal Pradesh’s allocated water share will be made available to Rajasthan and Delhi, with participating states contributing toward the power component costs associated with Himachal. Meanwhile, the Central Government will fund 90 percent of the water component as assistance. The project has been designated as a National Project, with construction and maintenance to be managed by Kishau Corporation Limited under the Upper Yamuna Basin framework.
For Rajasthan, 124 million cubic metres (MCM) of water allocated from the Kishau Dam will be conveyed to Churu via Haryana’s Hansi-Butana system using underground pipelines. This supply aims to resolve decades-old water scarcity under the Yamuna Water Agreement, wherein Rajasthan could not previously utilize its full monsoon allocation due to a lack of conveyance infrastructure.
The comprehensive regional development strategy also integrates road and air connectivity, tourism, and heritage conservation in Shekhawati, opening new avenues for economic growth and employment for local youth.