New Delhi: A major step has been taken toward the development of the long-pending Kishau Multipurpose Project, with six states in the Yamuna basin signing an agreement to move the project forward.

The agreement was signed by Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi in New Delhi in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Jal Shakti Minister C. R. Patil. The development follows years of discussions over water allocation, project costs and the interests of the participating states.

The proposed project will be built on the Tons River, a major tributary of the Yamuna, along the border of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. Under the agreement, a 232.6-metre-high concrete gravity dam is planned, with a storage capacity of approximately 1,562 million cubic metres.

The project is expected to have multiple uses, including irrigation, water supply and electricity generation. Government information states that around 97,000 hectares of agricultural land are expected to receive irrigation benefits, while the project is projected to generate about 1,476 million units of clean hydropower.

Delhi is expected to receive significant benefits from the project, particularly in terms of additional water availability. The agreement also includes provisions connected with the broader objective of improving water availability in the Yamuna basin.

The Kishau project has been designated as a National Project. According to the government, approximately 90 percent of its financial burden will be borne by the Centre, while the remaining 10 percent will be shared by the participating states under the agreed framework.

The signing represents a key administrative milestone, although the project still has to move through the remaining approval and implementation stages before construction can proceed fully. The project is expected to influence water management, agricultural irrigation and power generation across the participating regions.

The latest agreement therefore marks a transition from prolonged inter-state negotiations toward the next phase of formal project implementation, with the six states and the Centre now working under a common framework.