‘Yamuna pact showcases cooperative federalism’
NEW DELHI, June 29: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said a nearly three-decade-old water dispute between Haryana and Rajasthan had been resolved with the signing of an agreement for the construction and implementation of the Yamuna Water Project, describing the pact as a landmark example of cooperative federalism and “solution through dialogue”.
The agreement, signed in New Delhi in Shah’s presence, seeks to facilitate the conveyance of Rajasthan’s allocated share of Yamuna waters through an underground pipeline system from the Western Yamuna Canal. Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Union Jal Shakti Minister C. R. Patil and senior officials from the Centre and the two states attended the event.
Addressing the gathering, Shah said the agreement had resolved a water-related issue that had remained pending for nearly 30 years and reflected the Centre’s commitment to resolving inter-state disputes through dialogue and consensus. He said the pact demonstrated that long-pending issues could be settled if states worked together in the spirit of cooperative federalism.
Under the agreement, around 580 million cubic metres (MCM) of water will be supplied from the Yamuna Canal to Rajasthan between July and October through three underground pipelines, each measuring over 3.6 metres in diameter. Shah said the project would ensure drinking water supply to people in both Rajasthan and Haryana while making effective use of water that had previously gone unutilised.
He said the agreement clearly defines financial responsibilities, cost-sharing, water allocation, release protocols, maintenance arrangements, monitoring systems and a dispute resolution mechanism, making it a scientifically designed and sustainable framework for the long term.
Shah credited the Ministry of Jal Shakti, the governments of Haryana and Rajasthan and the Central Water Commission for preparing an agreement that, he said, would remain free from disputes for decades. He also praised Union Jal Shakti Minister C. R. Patil for facilitating a consensus between the two states within a short period.
The Home Minister said the project would provide drinking water to Rajasthan’s Sikar, Churu and Jhunjhunu districts as well as the Bhiwani and Fatehabad regions of Haryana. He added that surplus water, which earlier went to waste, would now be stored in large ponds to help recharge groundwater and address drinking water shortages, particularly in Rajasthan.
The project aims to enable Rajasthan to fully utilise its allocated share of Yamuna waters under the 1994 Memorandum of Understanding on the sharing of utilisable surface waters of the Upper Yamuna Basin. It is expected to benefit millions of people by ensuring reliable drinking water supply and supporting socio-economic development in the arid and semi-arid regions of the state.
