Haryana and Rajasthan sign Yamuna Water Project agreement in Amit Shah’s presence

Haryana and Rajasthan signed an agreement for the implementation of the Yamuna Water Project in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The project aims to improve drinking water supply through underground pipelines and resolve a decades-old water-sharing issue between the two states

New Delhi: Haryana and Rajasthan on Monday signed an agreement in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the construction and implementation of the Yamuna Water Project, officials said.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on May 12, 1994, by the Yamuna basin states — Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and the National Capital Territory of Delhi — regarding the allocation of the surface flow of the river.

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After its creation in 2000, Uttarakhand was also included in the MoU.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil and senior officials from the central government and the state governments were present during the ceremony.

Addressing the meeting, Shah said the project seeks to facilitate the conveyance of Rajasthan’s allocated share of Yamuna waters through an underground pipeline system from the Western Yamuna Canal, enabling the state to effectively utilise the water allocated to it under the 1994 MoU on the sharing of utilisable surface waters of the Upper Yamuna Basin.

The agreement will ensure that 580 Million Cubic Metres (MCM) of water is supplied from the Yamuna Canal to Rajasthan through three underground pipelines from July to October, he said.

Shah said the agreement has resolved the nearly three-decade-old water-related problem faced by the people of Haryana and Rajasthan.

The home minister said the agreement is an excellent example of the mantra, ‘Solution through Dialogue’, given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“This agreement demonstrates that if states move forward with the spirit of cooperative federalism, even a problem persisting for three decades can be resolved easily,” he said.

Shah said that under the agreement, approximately 580 Million Cubic Metres (MCM) of water will be supplied from the Yamuna Canal to Rajasthan through three underground pipelines from July to October.

These three pipelines have a diameter of more than 3.6 metres and will provide drinking water to the people of both Rajasthan and Haryana.

Shah said the agreement is an excellent example of a “win-win situation” for both states.

The agreement has carefully addressed financial responsibilities, cost-sharing, water allocation, water release protocols and maintenance arrangements, he said.

This scientifically comprehensive agreement also incorporates the operation and maintenance of infrastructure, monitoring systems, transparency measures and a robust dispute resolution mechanism, the home minister said.

He said the framework of the agreement, prepared by Haryana, Rajasthan and especially the Central Water Commission (CWC), will remain a dispute-free arrangement for many decades to come.

Shah said a resolution was achieved in just a few days under the chairmanship of Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil.

Following the agreement, drinking water will be supplied to the districts of Sikar, Churu and Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan, as well as the Bhiwani and Fatehabad areas in Haryana.

The home minister said the agreement will greatly help in resolving the drinking water problem in Rajasthan and Haryana, particularly in Rajasthan.

The water that was earlier going to waste will now quench the thirst of the people and will be stored in large ponds to recharge the groundwater level, he said.

Shah said Haryana, Rajasthan and the Ministry of Jal Shakti have truly translated into reality the message of cooperative federalism given by Prime Minister Modi.

The project is expected to benefit millions of people by ensuring a reliable drinking water supply and supporting socio-economic development in the arid and semi-arid regions of Rajasthan, a government statement said.

The agreement also lays the foundation for the timely implementation of the project through coordinated efforts of the central government and the participating state governments, it said.