Chandigarh (Balwinder Singh): Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini described the signing of the memorandum of understanding for the Kishau Multipurpose Project among six northern states as a historic milestone that will substantially resolve long-term water requirements across the region. Speaking to journalists in New Delhi on Tuesday following a high-level meeting chaired by Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, Saini emphasized that the formal consensus among stakeholder states clears the path for implementing the long-pending project. The meeting was attended by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil.
The Chief Minister credited the breakthrough to the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the active mediation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and sustained inter-state coordination spearheaded by Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil. Saini pointed out that because Haryana holds a 48 per cent entitlement in the Yamuna river basin, any increase in channel discharge directly benefits the state’s agrarian and domestic sectors. He noted that alongside ongoing construction at the Renukaji and Lakhwar upstream storage facilities, initiating work on the Kishau project will secure a collective water allocation of roughly 1,143 million cubic metres for Haryana.
Detailing the cumulative hydrological impact, Saini explained that the three storage projects together will unlock an additional 2,676 cusecs of river flow, from which Haryana will receive a dedicated share of 1,280 cusecs. He stressed that sustainable water access remains fundamental for ongoing industrialization and population growth, adding that the newly unlocked reserves will safeguard the state’s resource security for future generations. Saini expressed confidence that civil construction on the Tons River dam will commence shortly under central guidance, delivering vital irrigation and power benefits across participating states.
