Jaipur, Sept. 16 -- Rajasthan on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding with five other states for the Kishau multipurpose project, a move expected to strengthen long-term water security in the water-scarce Shekhawati region and create new opportunities for drinking water supply and irrigation. The MoU was signed in New Delhi at a meeting chaired by Union home minister Amit Shah and attended by Union jal shakti minister C R Patil. Chief minister Bhajanlal Sharma and the chief ministers of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana signed the agreement. An official release from the CM's office states that the Kishau multipurpose dam is proposed on the Tons river, a major tributary of the Yamuna, along the Uttarakhand-Himachal Pradesh border. The estimated Rs.15,000-crore project will generate 660 MW of hydropower and benefit Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. Under the revised arrangement, 95% of Himachal Pradesh's allocated water share will be made available to Rajasthan and Delhi in return for the two states contributing towards the cost of Himachal Pradesh's power component. Himachal Pradesh will retain 5% of its water share for local use. Of the 95% available to Delhi and Rajasthan, the two states will receive the water in a 75:25 ratio. For Rajasthan, the agreement is significant because the state has been allocated 124 million cubic metres (MCM) of water from the Kishau project. The water is proposed to be brought from Hansi Basi in Haryana to Churu through three underground pipeline systems planned under the Yamuna water project. The proposed system is expected to provide water for drinking and other requirements in Churu, Sikar, Jhunjhunu and adjoining areas, giving a major boost to the region's long-term water availability. The Kishau agreement comes against the backdrop of Rajasthan's longstanding difficulty in receiving its allocated Yamuna water. Under the 1994 Yamuna water agreement between five states, Rajasthan was allocated 1,917 cusecs, or 577 MCM, of water from the Tajewala headworks during the monsoon season. However, the state has not been able to receive its full share for the past 32 years due to the absence of the required water conveyance system. The state government is now working on bringing the allocated Yamuna water to Shekhawati through underground pipelines. A joint detailed project report is being prepared for the proposed system to meet the drinking water requirements of Sikar, Churu, Jhunjhunu and other areas. The revised Kishau agreement is expected to add another source to this planned water network, allowing the water to be used for drinking, irrigation and other purposes. The Kishau project has been included by the Centre among national projects. The Kishau Corporation Limited will be responsible for construction, operation and maintenance of the project, while its monitoring will be undertaken under the institutional framework governing the Upper Yamuna Basin. The participating states will also contribute towards the cost of Himachal Pradesh's power component in lieu of receiving a share of its allocated water. For Shekhawati, the government sees improved water availability as a potential catalyst for wider economic development, particularly in agriculture, tourism and services....