Uttar Pradesh to spend over ₹717 crore on two national projects to enhance irrigation and drinking water availability
Lucknow: In the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, approval was granted for Uttar Pradesh’s financial participation in two major water projects currently under construction in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. The cabinet approved the proposal to release the state’s share of funds for the Lakhwar Multipurpose Project and the Renukaji Dam Project.
Lakhwar Multipurpose Project
The cabinet approved the expenditure of ₹356.07 crore as Uttar Pradesh’s share in the Lakhwar Multipurpose Project, which is being constructed on the Yamuna River near Lohari village in the Dehradun and Tehri Garhwal districts of Uttarakhand.
The revised cost of the project is ₹5,747.17 crore (price level 2018). The project includes the construction of a 204-meter-high dam, a 300 MW underground power house, and a balancing reservoir with a barrage.
The total cost to be borne by the beneficiary states is ₹1,146.69 crore, in which Uttar Pradesh’s water consumption share is 31.05 percent.
Through this project, irrigation water will be made available for about 33,780 hectares of land across beneficiary states including Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. It will also provide 78.83 MCM of water for domestic and industrial use and generate 300 MW (572.54 million units) of incidental power.
The project was declared a national project in 2008 and is targeted for completion by December 2031.
Renukaji Dam Project
The cabinet also approved the expenditure of ₹361.04 crore as Uttar Pradesh’s share in the Renukaji Dam Project being constructed on the Giri River in the Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh.
The total cost of the project is ₹6,946.99 crore (price level 2018), while the water component cost is ₹6,647.46 crore.
The project involves construction of a 148-meter-high and 430-meter-long dam, with a total water storage capacity of 498 MCM and live storage capacity of 330 MCM. It also includes a 40 MW power generation facility.
The total cost to be borne by beneficiary states is ₹1,162.66 crore, with Uttar Pradesh holding a 31.05 percent share in water consumption.
The stored water from this project will be used for irrigation in the states of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
The project was declared a national project in 2009 and is targeted for completion by December 2032.
Upon completion of both projects, Uttar Pradesh will receive a total of 3.721 BCM (31.05 percent) of additional water. This water will be utilized for irrigation through the Eastern Yamuna Canal System and the Agra Canal System.
The projects will also increase the flow of water in the Yamuna River and help improve the river’s environmental flow and dilution capacity.
