CHANDIGARH: Haryana will assist Rajasthan in getting it share of Yamuna water through underground pipelines to meet drinking water need of several districts of the desert states located along Haryana state border.
Responding to a question on the distribution of Yamuna water to Rajasthan, the Union Jal Shakti Minister Raj Bhushan Choudhary in a written statement informed the Lok Sabha that both the states have already inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on February 17, this year to ensure water supply to drought-prone districts in Rajasthan.
Soon a detailed project report will jointly be prepared and finalized by the governments of both the states for transfer of water through underground pipelines during July to October upto 577 million cubic meters (MCM) for drinking water supply and other requirements for Churu, Sikar, Jhunjhunu and other Districts of Rajasthan after utilisation of full capacity of 24,000 cusec of Western Yamuna Canal by Haryana including Delhi share at Hathnikund under Phase-1 of the project.
After construction of three identified storages in Upper Yamuna Basin, namely, Renukaji, Lakhwar and Kishau, the corresponding share of Rajasthan at Hathnikund Barrage in Haryana, during rest of the period will be conveyed through the same system for drinking water and irrigation purpose to the extent possible, reads the statement.
In1994, an MoU was signed between the basin states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi for the allocation of surface water of Yamuna river upto Okhla in Delhi. As per this agreement the hill states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, would be utilizing surface water. Meanwhile, the surface water to other states including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi will be distributed through barrages at Hathnikund, Wazirabad and Okhla. The drinking water allocation of Delhi is first met and the balance is distributed amongst Haryana, UP and Rajasthan.
All the six basin States in Upper Yamuna Basin are getting water from river Yamuna, however, due to unavailability or restricted capacity of conveyance system, the States of Haryana, UP and Rajasthan are not able to utilize their full allocated share.