Kishau Dam Consensus: Six States Back Tons River Project
Why in the news
A stalled Himalayan dam project moved forward when Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan agreed to sign an MoU at a meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi.
Key facts
- Meeting dates: 16-17 June 2026; deadlock broken after eight years.
- River: Tons, a tributary of the Yamuna.
- Cost split: Centre pays 90% of the water component as central assistance grant; six states bear the other 10%.
- Water swap: Himachal Pradesh’s water share goes to Delhi and Rajasthan, in return for them carrying HP’s power-component cost of about ₹2,000 crore.
- The project first got a MoEF nod in 2018; the MoU now needs Union Cabinet approval.
Project specifications
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Dam type and height | Concrete gravity, 236 m |
| Estimated cost | ₹11,500-15,000 crore |
| Reservoir | 1,324 MCM |
| Power | 660 MW (1,379 MU a year) |
| Irrigation | 97,076 hectares |
Location
- Site on the Himachal Pradesh-Uttarakhand border, between Dehradun and Sirmour, about 39 km north of Dakpathar and upstream of Ichari Dam.
Objectives
- Build a broad water-resource network and secure downstream drinking water.
- Widen irrigation across northern India and produce peak-load hydropower.
- Lift the minimum ecological flow of the Yamuna and help rejuvenate it.
About the Yamuna
- Rises at Yamunotri Glacier (Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand), 6,387 m high; length about 1,376 km.
- Tributaries: Tons, Giri, Chambal, Sind, Betwa, Ken, Hindon.
- Meets the Ganga at Triveni Sangam, Prayagraj; basin about 366,223 sq km across Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
Exam angle
- River of the dam: Tons (Yamuna tributary).
- Funding pattern: 90:10.
- Stakeholders: six states, including Delhi and Rajasthan.