1.0 Introduction
Upper Yamuna River Board is a subordinate office under Department of Water Resources, RD & GR, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India. A memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the Chief Ministers of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Utter Pradesh, Rajasthan and National Capital Territory of Delhi on 12th May, 1994 regarding allocation of utilizable surface flow of River Yamuna upto Okhla Barrage among the co-basin States. The MoU provides for creation of a board called Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB). UYRB was constituted by the Resolution No. 10(66)/71-IT dated 11th March 1995 of MoWR, RD & GR, Government of India.
2.0 Board:
The Board shall consist of Member, Central Water Commission as part time Chairman and one nominee each from the States of Utter Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, and National Capital Territory of Delhi not below the rank of the Chief Engineer, a Chief Engineer from Central Electricity Authority and representatives of Central Ground Water Board and Central Pollution Control Board as part time Members. The Board shall have a full time Member-Secretary who does not belong to beneficiary states. All the posts of UYRB Secretariat are filled on deputation basis from Staff/Officers of Central/State Government.
3.0 Upper Yamuna Review Committee
As per Resolution dated 11th March, 1995, there shall be a “Upper Yamuna Review Committee(UYRC)” comprising of the Chief Ministers (Governor in case of President’s Rule) of the States of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Utter Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and National Capital Territory of Delhi under the Chairmanship of the Hon’ble Minister, MoWR, RD & GR, Govt. of India for assessment of working of the UYRB and ensure implementation of MoU dated 12.05.1994 regarding allocation of surface flow of Yamuna and issue directions as may be necessary for the proper development and management of the upper reaches of the Yamuna River Basin upto and including Okhla Barrage.
4.0 Function of Board:
The main function of Upper Yamuna River Board is to regulate the allocation of available flows amongst the beneficiary States and also monitoring the return flows; monitoring conserving and upgrading the quality of surface and ground water; maintaining hydro-meteorological data for the basin; over viewing plans for watershed management; monitoring and reviewing the progress of all projects upto and including Okhla barrage. The Board has started the process of installation of telemetry system to observe discharge at 11 locations in the basin to ensure real-time dissemination of flow data amongst participating States.
The States have agreed that a minimum flow in proportion of completion of upstream storages going upto 10 cumec shall be maintained downstream of Tajewala/ Hathnikund and downstream of Okhla Headwork throughout the year from ecological considerations as upstream storages are built up progressively in a phased manner. Meanwhile, Hon’ble NGT ordered vide order dated 11.06.2015 that “The state of Haryana shall release of 10 cumec water directly into main stream of river Yamuna from Hathnikund Barrage and maintain e-flow of the river till Wazirabad. Accordingly, at present,10 cumec water is being released from Hathnikund Barrage directly into the river in compliance of the aforesaid order.
5.0 Upstream Projects:
Government of India has included the three proposed storage projects in the upper reaches of Yamuna and its tributaries known as Renukaji Dam, Kishau Dam and Lakhwar-Vyasi Projects as National Projects for which 90% of the cost of irrigation and drinking water supply component of the project shall be provided by the Government of India.
Renukaji Dam project
Renukaji Dam Project has been conceived as a storage project on Giri River in Sirmour district of Himachal Pradesh. The Project envisages construction of 148 m high rock fill Dam across River Giri at Dadahu and a Powerhouse at toe of Dam to generate 40MW of power. The project will provide 49800 ha m (0.498 BCM) of live storage in its reservoir and a firm water supply to the tune of 23 cumecs to Delhi. The project has been declared as Project of National Importance in February, 2009, as such the cost (excluding power component) shall be borne by Govt. of India (GoI) and beneficiary states in the ratio of 90:10.
An agreement for the construction of the project has been signed between the state of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, National Capital Territory of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana & Rajasthan on 11-01-2019 wherein it was decided that NCT of Delhi shall bear cost of power.
Lakhwar multi-purpose project
Lakhwar multi-purpose project is located on river Yamuna at Lohari in Dehradun district of Uttarakhand. It is a concrete dam of 204 m height and of 481.5 M length with a live water storage capacity of 330 MCM and an underground power house with an installed capacity of 300 MW (3X100 MW). It is to be constructed with a balancing reservoir and a barrage at Katapather, 13.65 Km d/s of Lakhwar dam. This project would deliver irrigation benefit to 33,780 ha of Culturable Command Area (CCA) and make available 78.83 MCM of water for drinking & industrial use.
In February 2009, it was declared as National Project. All the statutory clearances of the project including investment clearance have been obtained. Water benefit shall be shared among six states – Delhi, Haryana, UP, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and HP as per MoU, 1994 regarding “Allocation of Surface Flow of Yamuna”. The agreement for the constraction of the project has been signed between the states of Delhi, Haryana, UP, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and HP in the presence of Hon’ble Minister of Water Resources on 28.08.2018.
Kishau Dam Project
Kishau Dam Project is a multipurpose project on River Tons ( a tributary of river Yamuna) at the border of District. Dehradun (U.K.) & District Sirmour (H.P) located at 45 km. U/S of Dakpathar. The proposed project is located on river Tons in District Dehradun, Uttarakhand and District Sirmour, Himachal Pradesh about 45 Kms. upstream of Dakpathar. The project area lies between N 300 40’ and E 770 47’. It is a gravity dam of 236 m height and 680 m length with a live water storage capacity of 1324 MCM. This project would deliver irrigation benefit to 0.97 Lakh Ha land and make available 617 MCM of water for drinking/industrial use.
Besides providing irrigation, drinking and industrial water, the project will also ensure releases as per MoU, 1994 “Allocation of Surface Flow of Yamuna” signed amongst the Upper Yamuna Basin States of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, UP, Haryana, NCT of Delhi and Rajasthan. The project has been declared as a National Project in February 2008. The Project is to be executed through M/s. Kishau Corporation Ltd., a Joint Venture between Govt. of HP and Govt. of Uttarakhand.
6.0 Meetings:
UYRB has organized 58 meeting of the Board and 7 meeting of the UYRC since its constitution to till date and has been working on various related issues amongst the Basin States of Upper Yamuna reaches.