Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma hails signing of Yamuna Water Agreement with Haryana, says "major issues resolved"
New Delhi, June 30
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Tuesday hailed the signing of the long-pending Yamuna Water Agreement with Haryana, a day after it was formally signed in New Delhi, calling it a major breakthrough for the state's Shekhawati region.
Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Sharma said, "Yesterday, on June 29, a decision was reached among our Home Minister Amit Shah, Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, and myself; Rajasthan's historic Shekhawati region will also receive water. Yesterday, a major water-related issue was resolved."
He emphasised his government's broader efforts to resolve decades-old, stalled projects for Rajasthan, citing the Ram Jal Setu scheme.
"In the last two and a half years, solutions have been found for projects that Rajasthan had been awaiting for decades, and work on these schemes has commenced. An agreement was reached on the Ram Jal Setu scheme--which had long been stalled between Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan--and today, work on projects worth Rs 24,000 crore is underway. A historic decision was taken on June 29. Soon after our government was formed, we signed an MoU with the Haryana government on February 12, 2024, to ensure Rajasthan receives its rightful share of water--as stipulated in our 1994 agreement, " he 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 Memorandum of Understanding on the sharing of utilisable surface waters of the Upper Yamuna Basin.
He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for resolving an issue that had eluded earlier governments.
"There were many instances when Congress governments were in power in Rajasthan, Haryana, and at the Centre, yet they never truly understood our difficulties. I wish to thank the Prime Minister for grasping the gravity of Rajasthan's water crisis," said the CM.
Rajasthan and Haryana on Monday signed the long-awaited Yamuna Water Agreement in New Delhi, ending a three-decade-long deadlock and paving the way for the implementation of a Rs 34,102 crore water infrastructure project aimed at redefining the water landscape of Rajasthan.
The agreement was signed in the presence of Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and senior officials from the Centre and both state governments.
According to a release, the project will transport Rajasthan's allocated share of 577 million cubic metres (MCM) of Yamuna water from the Hathnikund Barrage in Haryana to the Hansiawas Reservoir in Churu district through a 295.5-kilometre underground pipeline network.
The project will comprise three pipelines, each measuring 3.6 metres in diameter, along with an inspection motorway, artificial reservoirs and a modern digital water management system. The project also includes provisions to supply drinking water to ten locations in Haryana.
The Rajasthan government said the Detailed Project Report (DPR) has been uploaded on the Central Water Commission's e-PAMS portal, while the Haryana government has granted in-principle approval for the proposed pipeline alignment.
A dedicated Special Purpose Vehicle, the Rajasthan Haryana Yamuna Water Project-SPV (RHYW-SPV), will be established to oversee the execution, operation and maintenance of the project.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Impressive that they're planning an underground pipeline system—that's smart for minimizing evaporation loss in Rajasthan's heat. But Rs 34,000 crore is a massive investment. Let's hope the SPV structure ensures accountability and proper maintenance.
Good move but I wish they'd also focus on rainwater harvesting and local water conservation. Big projects are necessary but sustainable solutions at village level are equally important. Still, accha kaam hai rajasthan ke liye. 👍
I'm from Churu and this is huge for us! We've been dependent on tanker water supply all our lives. 577 MCM of Yamuna water will transform our region. Let's hope political parties don't politicize this and work together for execution.
Having worked on infrastructure projects in India, I'm cautiously optimistic. The underground pipeline and digital management system sound modern, but land acquisition and inter-state coordination are always challenging. The 1994 agreement took 30 years to implement—hope this doesn't face similar delays.
I appreciate the effort but honestly, why did Congress governments never solve this when they had power in both states and centre? Vote bank politics at the cost of development. At least now someone is taking action. Shekhawati deserves this water. 👏
T Thomas Y