Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur participated in the MoU signing ceremony for the construction of Rs. 4000 crore Lakhwar Multi Purpose Project (MPP) in the Upper Yamuna Basin at New Delhi today. Chief Ministers of six States including Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, UP, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh signed the MoU in presence of Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.The Lakhwar MPP envisages constriction of 204 metre high dam across river Yamuna with live storage capacity of 330 million cubic metre (MCM) and generation of 330 MW of power. The project benefits include, supply of 79 MCM of clean drinking water which would go a long way in solving the water scarcity issues in the six states, 65 percent increase in non-monsoon flows in Yamuna river and bring additional 34,000 hectares under irrigation. Govt. of India will bear 90 percent cost of the water component project and the rest 10 percent of the water component would be borne by States in the ratio of water allocated to them as per water sharing MoU of 12.05. 1994.
The cost of power component of the project would be borne by Uttarakhand and they will avail the benefits of the power generation. The project would be constructed by Uttarakhand Government within 54 months and project work would be monitored by Upper Yamuna River Board.Chief Minister informed that Himachal Pradesh would receive 3.15 percent of water as its share and correspondingly contribute Rs. 8 crore as the States share to the water component of the project. He said that total three major storage projects are proposed to be constructed on the river Yamuna and its tributaries, Tons and Giri in the territories of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, namely Lakhwar MPP with 330 MCM live storage and 300 MW power generation on Tons river and Renikaji Project in Himachal Pradesh with 498 MCM live storage and 40 MW power generation on Giri river.Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Arjun Ram Neghwal also present on the occasion.