Chandigarh (Balwinder Singh): The governments of Rajasthan and Haryana signed a historic Memorandum of Agreement in New Delhi on Monday for the construction and implementation of the highly anticipated Yamuna Water Project. Signed in the presence of Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah and Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil, the agreement officially operationalises the 1994 Upper Yamuna River Board Agreement, effectively ending a 32-year-old deadlock between the neighboring states. The high-profile signing ceremony was also attended by Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, and senior administrative officials from both the central and state governments.
Estimated at a massive cost of 34,102 crore rupees, the scientifically structured project will transport Rajasthan’s allocated share of 577 million cubic metres of Yamuna water from the Hathnikund Barrage during the monsoon months of July to October. The water will be routed from the Western Yamuna Canal system through three massive underground pipelines, each exceeding 3.6 metres in diameter, spanning approximately 295.5 kilometres to reach the Hansiyawas Reservoir in Churu district. The deployment of a dedicated underground pipeline system is designed to drastically minimise transmission losses and bridge the long-standing infrastructural absence that previously prevented Rajasthan from utilising its legal water allocation.
The landmark project is expected to deliver long-term drinking water security and accelerate socio-economic development across several historically water-stressed regions. It will ensure a sustainable drinking water supply for the districts of Sikar, Churu, and Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan’s semi-arid Shekhawati belt, while simultaneously benefiting ten distinct locations in Haryana, including the areas of Bhiwani and Fatehabad. By capturing and channeling surplus monsoon runoff that previously went unused, the project will also facilitate the storage of water in large local ponds, significantly aiding regional efforts to recharge rapidly depleting groundwater levels.
To guarantee seamless execution, operation, and future maintenance of the multi-billion-crore infrastructure, the participating governments have agreed to establish a dedicated Special Purpose Vehicle to be known as the Rajasthan-Haryana Yamuna Water Project SPV. The comprehensive agreement painstakingly outlines clear parameters for financial responsibilities, cost-sharing models, precise water release protocols, and advanced digital transparency measures alongside a robust dispute resolution mechanism. Union Home Minister Amit Shah praised the framework as an excellent real-world implementation of cooperative federalism and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governance mantra of achieving resolution through active dialogue.
