New Delhi, Sep 15 (IANS): Ahead of signing a pact amidst the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi for the execution of long-pending Kishau Multipurpose Dam Project for the rejuvenation of the Yamuna River, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu, one of the six participating CMs, on Tuesday said the heritage of the state “must remain secure, and it must receive its full due”.
The estimated cost of the project is pegged at Rs 15,000 crore, and Home Minister Shah will sign on behalf of the Centre, which is bearing 90 per cent of the cost of its water component.
Besides Himachal Pradesh, the other beneficiary states are Uttarakhand, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan.
“The historic success achieved in the interest of Himachal in the long-pending Kishau Dam project will ensure an annual income of around Rs 600 crore without any investment,” CM Sukhu wrote on X, adding, “There will be no compromise with the state’s rights, honour, and future. The interest of Himachal will always remain our foremost concern.”
Earlier, at a meeting held under the chairmanship of Home Minister Shah in Delhi on June 15, a consensus was reached among the six beneficiary states to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the implementation of the Kishau Multipurpose Project.
The meeting had decided that 90 per cent of the cost of the water component of the project will be borne by the Central government as assistance, while the remaining 10 per cent of the financial burden will be shared by the six participating states.
The meeting had also reached a consensus to allocate Himachal Pradesh’s share of water to Delhi and Rajasthan in return for sharing the cost of Himachal Pradesh’s portion of the power component.
This decision will prove to be a significant milestone in the journey towards a cleaner and rejuvenated Yamuna, ensuring an increased flow of clean water in the river.
Following the June 15 consensus on the Kishau project, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Rajya Sabha member Harsh Mahajan had expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Shah. He had said the agreement among the states concerned regarding the long-pending project is an excellent example of the “solution-through-dialogue” approach adopted by the Central government led by Prime Minister Modi.
Former Himachal Cabinet Minister Mahajan had said the project would not only boost the rejuvenation of the Yamuna River but also open new avenues for water conservation, energy generation and regional development.
Former Fisheries Minister Mahajan had expressed confidence that the implementation of the project would yield long-term benefits for Himachal Pradesh and play a pivotal role in achieving the goal of a clean, pristine Yamuna.
