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UPPCS GS-V

UP’s share in Lakhwar and Renukaji dam projects

2 min readPhysiography & RiversUP Current Affairs
Battle IAS UP current affairs title card: UP's share in Lakhwar and Renukaji dam projects (, 10 March 2026)
Battle Brief

On 10 March 2026 the UP Cabinet approved its share of ₹356.07 crore in the Lakhwar multipurpose project on the Yamuna in Uttarakhand and ₹361.04 crore in the Renukaji dam on the Giri in Himachal Pradesh. Both shares are based on UP’s 31.05 per cent water-use share. Both are national projects and will feed UP’s Yamuna canals.

Fact File

Date
10 March 2026, UP Cabinet
Lakhwar
204 m dam on the Yamuna near Lohari, Dehradun/Tehri Garhwal; 300 MW
Renukaji
148 m dam on the Giri, Sirmaur (HP); 40 MW
UP’s share
₹356.07 crore (Lakhwar) and ₹361.04 crore (Renukaji)
Basis
UP’s water-use share of 31.05%
National project
Lakhwar 2008; Renukaji 2009
In the news

UP’s share in the Lakhwar and Renukaji dams: what happened?

The Yamuna runs thin in summer. Storage dams upstream in the hills hold monsoon water and release it later. Five states share these two dams, and each pays according to the water it will use. UP’s share is the biggest benefit downstream.

  • Lakhwar’s revised cost is ₹5747.17 crore (2018 price level).
  • Beneficiary states pay ₹1146.69 crore for Lakhwar; UP pays ₹356.07 crore of it.
  • For Renukaji, beneficiary states pay ₹1162.66 crore; UP pays ₹361.04 crore.
  • Lakhwar is due by December 2031 and Renukaji by December 2032.
Back Story

What will UP get?

  • Water for irrigation through the Eastern Yamuna Canal and Agra Canal systems.
  • More flow in the Yamuna, which helps dilute pollution.
  • Renukaji will also give Delhi 23 cusecs of drinking water for nine months, September to June.
  • Beneficiary states: Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, UP and Uttarakhand.
Why examiners care

Why does UP’s share in the Lakhwar and Renukaji dams matter?

  • Water security: Summer flows for UP’s Yamuna canals.
  • Federalism: Cost sharing by water use among five states.
Exam Radar

What can Prelims ask on UP’s share in the Lakhwar and Renukaji dams?

  • Lakhwar: 204 m dam on the Yamuna, Uttarakhand; national project 2008.
  • Renukaji: dam on the Giri, Sirmaur (HP); national project 2009.
  • UP’s water share in both: 31.05%.

Read all of March 2026 in the monthly UP current affairs compilation →

How to use this in Mains

GS-V inter-state rivers

  1. Upstream storage decides how much Yamuna water reaches UP in summer.
Quotable data point

The Cabinet approved UP's share of ₹356.07 crore in the Lakhwar multipurpose project on the Yamuna (Uttarakhand) and ₹361.04 crore in the Renukaji dam on the Giri (Himachal Pradesh) [UP Cabinet].

UP Information Dept: Cabinet decisions, 10 March 2026 (Hindi PDF)

Exam angle

UPPCS

GS-VI: rivers and irrigation of UP. Link upstream storage with the Eastern Yamuna and Agra canal systems.

Practice MCQs

Original practice questions (not PYQs).

Practice · UPPCS

The Renukaji dam project, in which UP shares cost, is on which river?

Answer (b) & explanation

UP Cabinet note, 10 March 2026.

Quick questions

Questions students ask about this

On which rivers are the Lakhwar and Renukaji dams?

Lakhwar is on the Yamuna in Uttarakhand; Renukaji is on the Giri in Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh.

How much will UP pay?

₹356.07 crore for Lakhwar and ₹361.04 crore for Renukaji.

How is UP's share decided?

On its water-use share of 31.05 per cent.

Keep studying

Official source: UP Information Dept: Cabinet decisions, 10 March 2026 (Hindi PDF)

facts from cited sources only; numbers machine-checked against source text; faculty review pending