Rajasthan and Haryana on Monday signed a long-pending agreement for the implementation of the Rs 34,102-crore Yamuna Water Project, ending a nearly three-decade-long deadlock and paving the way for a major water infrastructure initiative aimed at addressing drinking water scarcity in 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 the two state governments.
Addressing the event, Sharma described the agreement as a landmark achievement made possible through inter-state cooperation and said water security remains a key pillar of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
“Water security is a core pillar of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision. Under his leadership, a new governance culture prioritising water conservation, resource management and inter-state cooperation has flourished across the country,” he said.
Calling the accord historic, Sharma said the Prime Minister has consistently viewed water as “not merely a natural resource, but the very foundation of life, development and the prosperity of future generations.”
The Chief Minister credited Union Home Minister Amit Shah with facilitating dialogue between Rajasthan and Haryana and helping resolve the decades-old dispute.
“Amit Shah acted as a bridge of trust, dialogue and coordination between Rajasthan and Haryana. His personal intervention and continuous efforts at every stage were instrumental in resolving this long-pending issue,” Sharma said.
He also acknowledged the role of Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil in securing the technical and administrative clearances required for the project.
According to an official release, the project will transport Rajasthan’s allocated share of 580 million cubic metres (MCM) of Yamuna water from the Hathnikund Barrage in Haryana to the Hansiawas Reservoir in Churu district through a 295.5-km underground pipeline network.
The project includes three underground pipelines, each measuring 3.6 metres in diameter, along with an inspection motorway, artificial reservoirs and a modern digital water management system. It also provides for drinking water supply to 10 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, Rajasthan Haryana Yamuna Water Project-SPV (RHYW-SPV), will be established to oversee the execution, operation and maintenance of the project.
Sharma expressed confidence that the project would ensure long-term water security while boosting agriculture, industrial growth and socio-economic development, particularly in Rajasthan’s water-scarce regions, including the Shekhawati belt.
The project is expected to improve drinking water availability for millions of people and strengthen water infrastructure through coordinated implementation by the Centre and the two state governments.
(With inputs from ANI)
