Decades-old Haryana-UP land row nears resolution

The long-pending project to erect demarcation pillars along the Haryana-Uttar Pradesh border in the Yamuna is expected to resume soon, offering a potential resolution to a decades-old land dispute between farmers of both states.

Advertisement

The Public Works Department (PWD) Karnal has received administrative approval for Rs 7.75 crore from the Financial Commissioner, Revenue, and Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management Department. The project now awaits the final approval of the detailed estimate, following which tenders will be floated to kick-start the work.

Land disputes along the Haryana-UP border date back to the 1950s, frequently leading to violent clashes among farmers. The ever-changing course of the Yamuna has added to the confusion, as agricultural land cultivated by Haryana farmers often ends up on the UP side and vice versa.

To resolve these conflicts, the Dixit Committee was formed in the 1970s. In 1979, the Dixit Award, or the Haryana-UP Alteration of Boundaries Act-1979, was introduced to demarcate the border based on the river’s flow at that time. However, many boundary pillars were washed away in floods or were allegedly removed, reigniting disputes over the years.

In January 2020, both state governments held a joint meeting, agreeing to reconstruct missing boundary pillars with assistance from the Survey of India. The plan involved both state PWDs installing pillars along a 300-km stretch of the Yamuna, from Yamunanagar to Palwal.

A trial phase commenced in October 2020 at Badi Kalan village in Karnal, where the Survey of India identified pillar locations. Haryana PWD was supposed to erect 20 pillars, while UP PWD was responsible for 24, but Haryana managed to install only nine pillars. The project was reviewed in June 2021, but floods and logistical hurdles stalled progress.

Under the current project, 604 pillars will be erected in Karnal district alone, with Haryana and UP responsible for 302 each. Haryana will install odd-numbered pillars, while UP will handle even-numbered ones.

Of the 302 identified locations in Karnal, 85 pillars are already in place, while 217 remain to be installed.

“We are waiting for the final approval of the detailed estimate. Once sanctioned, tenders will be floated and work will resume at the points identified by the Survey of India,” said Sandeep Singh, XEN, PWD (B&R).

Deputy Commissioner Uttam Singh emphasised the significance of the project in permanently resolving land disputes between Haryana and UP farmers. “We will ensure speedy work after the allotment and starting of work,” he said.