Haryana, Rajasthan sign Yamuna water project pact in Amit Shah’s presence

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New Delhi, June 29

Haryana and Rajasthan on Monday signed an agreement for the construction and implementation of the Yamuna Water Project in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, paving the way for the supply of Rajasthan’s allocated share of Yamuna waters through an underground pipeline system from the Western Yamuna Canal.

The agreement aims to address a nearly three-decade-old water-sharing issue between the two states and ensure the utilisation of water allocated under the 1994 agreement on sharing of utilisable surface waters of the Upper Yamuna Basin.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil and senior officials from the Center and state governments attended the signing ceremony.

Under the agreement, around 580 Million Cubic Metres of water will be supplied from the Yamuna Canal to Rajasthan through three underground pipelines between July and October. The project will also support drinking water needs in Rajasthan’s Sikar, Churu, and Jhunjhunu districts, as well as in Haryana’s Bhiwani and Fatehabad districts.

Addressing the gathering, Shah said the agreement had resolved a long-pending water-related issue between Haryana and Rajasthan.

“This agreement demonstrates that if states move forward with the spirit of cooperative federalism, even a problem persisting for three decades can be resolved easily,” Shah said.

He described the pact as a “win-win situation” for both states and said it reflected a solution-focused approach through dialogue.

Shah said the three underground pipelines, each having a diameter of more than 3.6 meters, would help provide drinking water to people in both states. He added that the project would also help store excess water in large ponds, recharge groundwater levels and strengthen water availability in arid and semi-arid regions.

The agreement includes provisions on financial responsibilities, cost-sharing, water allocation, release protocols, maintenance arrangements, monitoring systems, and dispute-resolution mechanisms, according to officials.

The project is expected to improve access to reliable drinking water and contribute to socio-economic development in water-stressed areas of Rajasthan and Haryana. The implementation will be carried out through coordinated efforts of the central government and the participating state governments.