1994 Upper Yamuna Water Agreement: All you need to know about the MoU signed by Haryana and Rajasthan
Rajasthan and Haryana on Monday signed an agreement for the implementation of the Yamuna Water Project, which has been stuck in limbo for nearly three
Rajasthan and Haryana on Monday signed an agreement for the implementation of the Yamuna Water Project, which has been stuck in limbo for nearly three decades. Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil, along with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, attended the signing of the MoU between the two states. Rajasthan-Haryana MoU Following the agreement, drinking water will be supplied to the districts of Sikar, Churu and Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan, as well as Bhiwani and Fatehabad areas in Haryana. Shekhawat is one of the most water-stressed regions in the desert state of Rajasthan. How Yamuna water will be shared Under the agreement, water will be transported from the Hathnikund Barrage in Haryana. Home Minister Shah said that this agreement will greatly help in resolving the drinking water problem in Rajasthan and Haryana, particularly in Rajasthan.
The project seeks to facilitate the conveyance of Rajasthan's allocated share of Yamuna waters through an underground pipeline system from the Western Yamuna Canal, enabling the State to effectively utilise the water allocated to it under the 1994 Memorandum of Understanding on the sharing of utilisable surface waters of the Upper Yamuna Basin. The project is expected to benefit millions of people by ensuring a reliable drinking water supply and supporting socio-economic development in the arid and semi-arid regions of Rajasthan. The Agreement also lays the foundation for timely implementation of the project through the coordinated efforts of the Central Government and the participating State Governments. 1994 Upper Yamuna Water Agreement The original MoU was signed on May 12, 1994, by the Yamuna basin states - Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and the Capital Territory of Delhi regarding allocation of the surface flow of the river.
After its creation in 2000, Uttarakhand was also included in the MoU. Also Read | Mumbai faces water worries as reservoir storage falls below 7% Shah said the project seeks to facilitate the conveyance of Rajasthan's allocated share of Yamuna waters through an underground pipeline system from the Western Yamuna Canal, enabling the state to effectively utilise the water allocated to it under the 1994 MoU on the sharing of utilisable surface waters of the Upper Yamuna Basin. "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," he said. Shah said that under today's agreement, approximately 580 Million Cubic Meters (MCM) of water will be supplied from the Yamuna Canal to Rajasthan through three underground pipelines from July to October. These three pipelines have a diameter of more than 3.6 metres and will provide drinking water to the people of both Rajasthan and Haryana.
