A water sharing agreement between Haryana and Rajasthan was signed on Monday at Kartavya Bhavan in the meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The meeting on the signing of a water sharing agreement between Haryana and Rajasthan was attended by Union Minister for Jal Shakti CR Paatil, Chief Minister of Haryana Nayab Singh Saini and Chief Minister of Rajasthan Bhajanlal Sharma. The agreement focuses on how Rajasthan will receive its share of water through a structured system, including an underground pipeline.
Addressing the event, Patil said that under the agreement, Rajasthan’s share of water will be supplied from the Hathnikund Barrage via an underground pipeline routed through the Western Yamuna Canal system during the monsoon season.
He said that this will ensure a long-term solution for drinking water needs in Churu, Sikar, Jhunjhunu, and other water-stressed regions of Rajasthan. He said that continuous dialogue and efforts have taken place on this matter over the past few years and a consensus on the project’s implementation framework was reached between the two states during a meeting held on 23rd of this month.
Union Minister further said the agreement is the result of long discussions and will help ensure better implementation of the 1994 water-sharing framework. He said coordination between states is necessary for proper water use.Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini said Haryana respects Rajasthan’s water rights and supports fair distribution through cooperation. Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma said the state is only asking for its fixed share of water, and better use of surplus monsoon water can help solve drinking water problems in several districts.
Under the new arrangement, Rajasthan will receive its allocated share of water from the Hathnikund Barrage through an underground pipeline via the Western Yamuna Canal system during the monsoon season.As regards the dispute, the main issue has been how river water is divided between states like Haryana, Rajasthan, and others. Haryana and Rajasthan have long debated the sharing of Yamuna river water. Punjab has also been part of a separate but related dispute over Ravi-Beas water since Haryana was carved out in 1966.
States often argue over whether they are getting their full allocated share, especially during the summer and sowing seasons. The problem becomes more serious during the kharif season, when water demand is high for paddy crops and river levels drop.
Every year, water from major dams is distributed among states after the filling season ends. This includes water from Bhakra, Pong, and Ranjit Sagar dams, which is shared among Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Delhi.Because both Punjab and Haryana grow water-intensive crops, especially paddy, demand increases sharply in summer. At the same time, groundwater levels have also gone down, making canal water even more important.
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