Rajasthan not getting Yamuna water share from Haryana: Union minister

Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 22

Union Jalshakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Monday informed the Rajya Sabha that Rajasthan was not getting its allocated share of the Yamuna water from Haryana in the absence of an agreement between the two states to transport water through Haryana.

Rajya Sabha member from Rajasthan Kirodhi Lal Meena had asked the Jalshakti Ministry the reason for not providing water from the Tajewala headworks, which is located in Yamunanagar in Haryana, to Rajasthan despite the allocation of share of the Yamuna water to it by the Upper Yamuna River Board.

He sought response on whether the Union government proposed to direct Haryana to provide Yamuna water to Churu and Jhunjhunu districts of Rajasthan from the headworks.

In a written reply, Shekhawat attributed the anomaly to the absence of an agreement between the two states towards the conveyance system to transport Rajasthan’s share through Haryana.

Rajasthan had submitted a detailed project report for the transfer of Rajasthan’s share in the river water at the headworks to Churu and Jhunjhunu districts by the underground conveyance system at an estimated cost of Rs 23,966 crore in February, this year.

He further said the Central Water Commission (CWC) considered it at a meeting. The Rajasthan Government was suggested to redesign the system conceived by it.

Addressing a function here in January, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot alleged that Haryana had not released the water agreed upon to his state for 24 years.

He said the Rajasthan Government was continuously working with the Haryana Government since 2003 for signing an agreement to bring the allocated share of water from the Tajewala headworks as per an MoU signed between five states.