During a meeting here, Arya described the project as very important for the state and said its early construction is among the top priorities set by the government.
He said the people of the area have been agitating for the construction of the project for several years now as it would not only provide water for drinking and irrigation purpose but also produce electricity.
The minister also directed officials to remove hurdles like transfer of forest land and identification of land in nearby Udhamsingh Nagar district for the rehabilitation of families to be affected due to the construction of the Jamrani dam.
The 130-meter-high Jamrani dam was sanctioned on Gola river of Kathgodam area in Nainital district with an estimated cost of Rs 927.93 lakh in 2005 but its construction could not be started due to various reasons.
After the construction of the project, 60,600 hectares of land would get the water for irrigation in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand while 5.80 lakh people would be provided drinking water in the two states. The project would produce 19.5 MW of electricity also.
