Centre to mediate states' dispute in Kishau project

660-Mw dam will straddle Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh on the Tons

The Centre would mediate the talks between Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh to resolve the contentious issue of the 660-Megawatt (MW) Kishau multi-purpose project on the river Tons, bordering the two states.

Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar held talks on the issue with Nirpendra Mishra, principal secretary to the prime minister, in this regard last week. "The talks were very fruitful and the Centre has convened a meeting of the two states on September 13 to thrash out the issue," said Kumar.

If the need arises, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat will travel to Shimla to hold talks with his Himachal counterpart Virbhadra Singh, a senior government official said.

Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh had already agreed to work closely on the Kishau project during the last meeting, held in Shimla between the chief secretaries last year. The two states had also agreed to set up a special purpose vehicle to take the project forward.

But Himachal Pradesh virtually threw a spanner in the works, saying it wanted the Centre to bear 90 per cent of the total cost of the project, against the latter's readiness to spend 65 per cent on the irrigation component of the project and 35 per cent on the power component. Himachal is also seeking a 50 per cent share in the power benefits likely to be accrued from the Tons downstream power projects. "This has become a contentious issue between the two states which needs to be resolved," the official added.

The two demands of Himachal Pradesh have put the Uttarakhand government in a fix. Both the states are headed by Congress governments.

The Kishau project is proposed on the Tons, a tributary of the Yamuna. The height of the dam would be 236 metres. The estimated cost of the project would be Rs 8,000-10,000 crore. The project would provide irrigation water to nearly five basin states - Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The project is likely to irrigate 97,076 hectares, provide 1,324 million cubic meters of drinking water and produce 1,379 million units electricity.
BONE OF CONTENTION

• Talks to take place on September 13, says Uttarakhand chief secretary
• Kishau project proposed to be built on the Tons, a Yamuna tributary
• The height of the dam would be 236 metres
• Cost of project would be Rs 8,000 - Rs 10,000 crore
• Himachal Pradesh wanted Centre to bear 90% of project and demanded 50% of power