India and Six States Sign Kishau Dam Agreement

Union Home Minister Amit Shah presided over a series of meetings in New Delhi on September 15 and 16, 2026, resulting in a Memorandum of Understanding for the Kishau Multipurpose Project. The agreement resolves long-standing financial disputes between the Government of India and the states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Delhi.

The project, estimated to cost between Rs 15,000 crore and Rs 15,624 crore, will feature a dam on the Tons River at the border of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. It is designed to generate 422 MW of hydropower, provide 517 million cubic metres of drinking water annually, and irrigate approximately 97,000 hectares of land to rejuvenate the Yamuna River.

Under the financial terms, the central government will cover 90 percent of the water component's cost, with the six states sharing the remaining 10 percent. To resolve Himachal Pradesh's previous objections to the financial burden, the states agreed that Delhi, Rajasthan, and Haryana will jointly pay the estimated Rs 2,000 crore for the power component. In exchange, Himachal Pradesh will allocate its water share to Delhi and Rajasthan and receive 211 MW of electricity without bearing generation costs.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu noted that the project would strengthen the state economy and generate annual revenue exceeding Rs 1,000 crore. The project will be implemented by Kishau Corporation Limited, a joint venture between Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and will now be submitted to the Union Cabinet for final approval.