Kishau project excellent example of interstate cooperation & cooperative federalism: CM

PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun

 Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has said that the Kishau multipurpose project is an excellent example of interstate cooperation and cooperative federalism. He said that the project which was pending for decades has finally gained decisive momentum through the collective efforts of the Central and State governments and improved coordination among the participating States.

 The CM attended the programme in New Delhi on Tuesday in which a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi for the implementation of the long-pending project. The ceremony was chaired by the Union Home and Cooperation minister Amit Shah. 

Dhami said inking of the MoU is a historic step towards bringing the Kishau project, awaited for nearly eight decades, to fruition. He expressed gratitude on behalf of Uttarakhand to the Government of India and all participating State governments. 

He said that the Kishau Project was first conceived in the year 1940 and numerous attempts were made to advance the project since then but for various reasons, the project failed to move forward. Today, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, important projects pending for decades are being rapidly progressed, he said. 

The CM specifically thanked Union minister Amit Shah, saying that under his guidance, the meeting on June 16, 2026, paved the way for resolving several key bottlenecks related to the ambitious project.

Terming the project important for water security, power generation, irrigation, drinking water and rejuvenation of Yamuna, the CM said it will create a massive reservoir with a capacity of 1562 MCM and generate 422 MW of electricity. The entire upper Yamuna basin, including Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh as well as UP, Haryana, Delhi and Rajasthan will benefit from it. 

Dhami said that the project will also present some significant challenges during the construction phase. He said that Uttarakhand government’s top priority is the proper, sensitive and respectful rehabilitation of the families affected by the project.

The CM added that the project would require the transfer of approximately 2,500 hectares of forest land. This would require a large amount of land for compensatory afforestation. Providing such a large amount of land is a significant challenge for a forested and mountainous State like Uttarakhand. Therefore, Dhami requested the GoI and all participating states to assist Uttarakhand in identifying the necessary land for compensatory afforestation. He expressed hope that under the leadership of PM Modi and guidance of the Home minister all the participating states will be successful in fulfilling their resolve to implement the Kishau project in a timely manner.

Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil, UP CM Yogi Adityanath, Delhi CM Rekha Gupta, Rajasthan CM  Bhajan Lal Sharma, Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini, Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and other officers attended the ceremony.