After reaching a consensus on the 1994 Yamuna water-sharing agreement, Rajasthan and Haryana are set to sign a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) on Monday in New Delhi. The signing ceremony will be attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil. This agreement will put an end to a three-decade-long deadlock between the two states.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma and Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini will formalize the agreement after finalizing the framework during a marathon meeting held on Sunday. The Yamuna Water Project, aimed at providing irrigation and drinking water to three districts in Rajasthan’s Shekhawati region, namely Sikar, Churu, and Jhunjhunu, will be a significant outcome of this agreement.
The agreement allows Haryana to draw water from various designated locations, including specific cusecs from different points. The project will involve the transportation of water from the Hathnikund Barrage to the Hashyawas reservoir in Churu district through a hybrid pipeline system. Both states have agreed to establish a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to implement, operate, and maintain the project instead of forming a joint management board.
Efforts will be made to secure financial assistance from the Central government for the project, which will also facilitate the transportation of water from future projects in Rajasthan. Land acquisition along the pipeline corridor will begin after the formal approval of the agreement, with construction work starting soon after tenders are floated and work orders issued.
