Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday inked an agreement with Chief Ministers of six states of Haryana, Uttrakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan for the construction of Renukaji multi-purpose dam project on Giri River, a tributary river of Yamuna in the Upper Yamuna Basin.
Besides Nitin Gadkari, those who signed the agreement included Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal, Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat, Himachal CM Jai Ram Thakur, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
Union Minister of State for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Arjun Ram Meghwal and Minister of State for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Satya Pal Singh were also present on this occasion in New Delhi.
Gadkari, while interacting with the mediapersons during the signing of agreement, Gadkari said that adequate water resources are available in the country.
He said that it is the priority of the Centre Government to execute the proposed projects for the utilization of available water as per the state’s requirement adding that as a result of the three water storage dam projects to be constructed on Yamuna and its tributaries on Upper Yamuna Basin, adequate irrigation and drinking water would be available in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and National Capital Region Delhi.
Chief Minister Manohar Lal said that with the construction of three water storage dam projects namely Lakhwar multi-purpose Dam project, Renukaji Multi-purpose Dam project and Kishau Multi-purpose Dam project, Haryana would get 47.82 per cent water as its share.
Notably, 148 meter high Renukaji Dam project would be constructed on Giri River (tributary of river Yamuna) in Sirmour district of Himachal Pradesh over 1508 hectares and at a cost of Rs 4596.76 crore.
Out of total project cost, the cost of irrigation/drinking water component is Rs 4325.43 crore and the cost of power component is Rs 277.33 crore. The 90 per cent cost of irrigation/drinking water component of the project that is Rs 3892.83 crore will be provided by the Central Government and rest 10 per cent that is Rs. 432.54 crore will be provided by the basin States of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand , Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and National Capital Region of Delhi and the shares of these states are 47.82 per cent, 33.65 per cent, 3.15 per cent, 9.34 per cent and 6.04 per cent respectively.
The project is proposed to be executed by Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd. (HPPCL). The live storage of Renukaji Multi Purpose Project is 0.404 MAF and would ensure water supply of 23 cumec water to basin states. After the construction of the said dam, the flow of river Giri will increase about 110 per cent. The project will also generate 40 MW of power.
The Government of NCT of Delhi has agreed to fund 90 per cent of the cost of power component of the said project.
The Central government has so far released Rs. 446.96 crore for this project while the Delhi Government has released Rs 214.84 crore and Haryana Government has released Rs 25 crore.