DW BUREAU / New Delhi

Emphasising the need for a favourable funding pattern from the Centre, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu on Thursday met Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil and advocated the protection of the state's rights in the multi-purpose Kishau and Renuka Dam hydropower projects.

Besides the Kishau project, then Union Minister for Water Resources Nitin Gadkari on August 28, 2018, had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh in New Delhi for the construction of two other major projects being envisaged in the Upper Yamuna reaches. They are the Rs 3966.51 crore Lakhwar Multi-Purpose project and the Renukaji Multi-Purpose project. At the meeting with Union Minister Patil, Chief Minister Sukhu said the financial burden of the Kishau project should be borne entirely either by the Centre or by the major beneficiary states -- Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

He also raised critical issues concerning the Renuka Dam project. He called for due consideration of the Local Area Development Fund and the free power component. He said that while hydro projects are essential for national development, the environmental and social impacts must also be addressed, and the affected states should be fairly compensated.

Besides, the Chief Minister requested the early release of the pending amount under the Jal Jeevan Mission for the state.

Union Minister Patil assured the Chief Minister of all possible assistance and cooperation from the Central government.

The Kishau project, which includes the construction of a 236-m high concrete dam across the Tons, a tributary of the Yamuna in Dehradun district, will create an irrigation potential of about 97,000 hectares, make available 517 MCM drinking water, and generate 660 MW of power.

The Renukaji project, which has been conceived as a storage project on the Giri, also a tributary of the Yamuna in Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh, envisages the construction of a 148-m high rock-filled dam for the supply of 23 cumec water to Delhi and will generate 40 MW of power during peak flow.

As per the pact of 1994, separate agreements will have to be made between the six basin states for each water storage project in the upper reaches of the Yamuna. After completion of all these storage projects in Upper Yamuna Basin (including Lakhwar), the total benefits in terms of additional irrigation potential created will be 130,856 hectares, water availability for various uses will be 1,093.83 MCM, and power generation capacity will be 1,060 MW.

(editor@dailyworld.in)