New Delhi, September 15, 2026: An inter-state Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed for the implementation of the long-pending Kishau Multipurpose Dam Project at a meeting chaired by Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah at Kartavya Bhavan in New Delhi.
The agreement was signed by Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi. The project is being described as a major step toward strengthening water security, power generation, irrigation, drinking-water supply and the rejuvenation of the Yamuna.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami called the development a historic milestone and said it was more than a formal agreement. He thanked the Union government and all participating states on behalf of Uttarakhand for helping move forward a project that had remained pending for nearly eight decades.
Project Conceived in 1940
Dhami said the Kishau project was first conceived in 1940. Several efforts were made over the decades to advance it, but the project could not progress because of multiple unresolved issues.
He said important delayed projects are now being taken forward under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Dhami specifically thanked Amit Shah, saying that a meeting held on June 16, 2026, helped create a path toward resolving several obstacles related to the project.
Subsequent coordination between the Centre and the participating states led to further progress, culminating in the signing of the MoU.
1,562 MCM Reservoir, 422 MW Power
According to the Chief Minister, the project will create a reservoir with an estimated capacity of approximately 1,562 million cubic metres (MCM) and develop 422 megawatts of electricity-generation capacity.
The benefits are expected to extend beyond Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh to Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi and Rajasthan, covering the wider Upper Yamuna Basin.
The project is intended to support:
- Water security.
- Hydropower generation.
- Irrigation.
- Drinking-water supply.
- Yamuna rejuvenation.
- Inter-state water cooperation.
Dhami said Kishau is not an ordinary dam project but a national-interest, multipurpose initiative requiring sustained cooperation between the Centre and the states.
Rehabilitation and Environmental Concerns
The Chief Minister said the rehabilitation of families affected by the project would remain Uttarakhand’s highest priority. He stressed that displaced families must receive fair, sensitive and dignified treatment.
The project is expected to require the transfer of approximately 2,500 hectares of forest land. This would create a substantial requirement for land for compensatory afforestation.
Dhami said arranging such a large area would be a significant challenge for a forest-rich and mountainous state such as Uttarakhand. He requested the Centre and participating states to support Uttarakhand in identifying suitable land for compensatory afforestation.
He reiterated that Uttarakhand is committed to balancing development with environmental protection. All applicable environmental and forest-related provisions, he said, would be followed in accordance with the law.
Cooperative Federalism
Dhami described the agreement as an example of inter-state cooperation and cooperative federalism. He said the combined efforts of the Centre and the participating states, along with improved coordination, had provided decisive momentum to a project that had remained stalled for decades.
He expressed confidence that, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the guidance of Amit Shah, all participating states would fulfil their commitment to implement the Kishau project within a defined timeframe.
The Chief Minister said the signing of the MoU marks the beginning of a historic project whose benefits are expected to reach future generations.
Union Jal Shakti Minister C. R. Patil, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Union ministers, representatives of participating states and senior officials were also acknowledged by Dhami.
