New Delhi: Haryana and Rajasthan on Monday signed an agreement on the Yamuna Water Project after a gap of 32 years under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil, Haryana Chief Minister Saini, and Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma were present during the signing ceremony.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister Saini said several meetings had been held between Haryana and Rajasthan under the leadership of the Union Jal Shakti Minister regarding the project.
Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Rajasthan will utilise surplus rainwater available in Haryana between July and October through a dedicated pipeline for drinking water purposes.
Saini said the agreement marked a significant step towards implementing the project and added that a pipeline would be laid from the Hathnikund Barrage to Rajasthan to enable the use of surplus water.
"It is a matter of great satisfaction, as ensuring the supply of water to those in need is a shared responsibility," he said.
The Haryana Chief Minister assured full cooperation from the state and said no hurdle would be allowed to delay the implementation of the project.
He further stated that before the MoU was signed, various aspects of the project were discussed in detail under the guidance of the Union Jal Shakti Minister. The agreement was finalised after extensive deliberations on all related matters.
Saini expressed gratitude to Amit Shah, C.R. Patil, and Bhajanlal Sharma for facilitating the agreement.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma described the development as a historic day, saying the agreement was a major step towards supplying Yamuna water to the three districts of the Shekhawati region and would end a wait of several decades.
The first agreement to supply Yamuna water to Shekhawati was signed between Rajasthan and Haryana in 1994. However, the project remained stalled as both states failed to reach a consensus.
In 2001, it was again decided that Rajasthan would receive water from Haryana’s Hathnikund Barrage, but the project did not progress. The process was revived in 2024, eventually leading to the latest agreement.
With IANS inputs