After getting clearance on the 300-Mw Lakhwar hydel project, the Uttarakhand government has launched efforts for building the 600-Mw Kishau project in joint partnership with Himachal Pradesh.
The technical advisory committee (TAC) of the Centre Water Commission (CWC) has last week given its clearance to multi-purpose project with an investment of Rs 4,000 crore. “By getting the clearance of TAC, the Lakhwar project has cleared all the major hurdles,” said B C K Mishra, Director (operation) of the state-owned UJVN, which is the implementation agency.
However, the fate of Kishau hydel project was not yet known, with Himachal Pradesh not showing any enthusiasm toward the construction of the dam. “We are launching our efforts to build the Kishau project also,” said Mishra.
In the month of July, the Centre had agreed to give clearances to the two big multi-purpose hydel projects, which would provide drinking and irrigation water to northern states like Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. Pulok Chatterjee, principal secretary to the prime minister, had also directed Himachal Pradesh to compete all formalities related to Kishau project at the earliest. The project would be built on Tons river, a major tributary of Yamuna.
Unlike the raging hydel project controversy surrounding the river Ganga, projects on the river Yamuna have remained away from the prying eyes of environmentalists and religious leaders.
Lakhwar is a multipurpose project on the river Yamuna which will also provide irrigation and drinking water benefits to Delhi and other northern states. The project was transferred from NHPC to the state-run UJVN in 2010 and has also been declared as a national project.
Like Kishau, Lakhwar would also provide 330 MCM of drinking water from its dam. The project would also irrigate a total of 31923 hectare of land in these states. Delhi and Rajsthan have already given their acceptance to share the cost of the project. It would be constructed by the UJVNL at an estimated cost of Rs 3,966 crore, out of which the Centre would provide Rs 2,578 crore and the remaining Rs 1,388 crore would be invested by the state government. To be completed in four years, the project will be capable of irrigating 39123 hectares of land.