Talks on the Yamuna project to begin soon

Talks on inter-state irrigation and water sharing will shortly start between the states of Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Uttaranchal, to get up the Kishau dam multi-purpose project on the river Tons (a tributary of the river Yamuna) in Uttaranchal.

"Once the project is sanctioned, we will complete it in five years," R K Sharma, chairman and managing director, Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Ltd (THDC), told Business Standard.

The THDC has proposed to build the Kishau project, which will have a capacity generation of 600 Mw, and will be built at a cost of Rs 4,500 crore. It will provide 616 million cubic metres (MCM) of drinking water to Delhi, and irrigation to 9,7076 hectare area (ha) of Uttar Pradesh. A detailed project report (DPR) has already been prepared.

Issues pertaining to apportionment of cost among power, drinking water supply and irrigation components are to be finalised.

Sources close to the development say the irrigation and drinking water cost component of the project will be funded by participating states. Delhi will foot the drinking water cost component while THDC will fund the power cost component.

Initially, the irrigation component of the project was to be footed by the Uttar Pradesh government.

The project involves building a 236-metre high concrete dam and is 95 kilometre away from Dehradun.