Shimla, Aug 7 - The Delhi government has provided Rs.214.83 crore to Himachal Pradesh for a hydroelectric project that will provide drinking water to the national capital, Himachal Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has said.

'The Delhi government has deposited Rs.214.83 crore with Himachal Pradesh for the construction of the Renuka Dam (in Sirmaur district), that will provide drinking water to Delhi,' Dhumal told the state assembly Thursday.

He said the total cost of the project is Rs.2,676.04 crore, out of which 15 percent would be spent on rehabilitation of the families affected by the project.

'Fifteen percent of the total cost of the project would be spent on rehabilitating families. It would render 84 families landless and 81 families homeless,' Dhumal said, while replying to a question by Congress member Kaul Singh Thakur.

He said the central government had decided to bear 90 percent expenditure of the project, while the rest would be borne by northern states, including Punjab and Haryana.

The chief minister said because of the delay in the project, its cost escalated to Rs.2,676.04 crore from Rs.1,600 crore.

Dhumal said the state would provide more economic benefits to the project-affected families.