Review Meeting of the Water Resources Department – CM Bhajanlal Sharma: “State Government Committed to Making Rajasthan Self-Sufficient in Water”

Jaipur : Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma stated that the Rajasthan government is committed to making the state fully self-sufficient in water resources. Over the past year, the government has made significant decisions and undertaken unprecedented efforts to improve water availability across the state.

Addressing a review meeting of the Water Resources Department on Monday night at a private hotel in Udaipur, CM Sharma emphasized the fundamental role of water in the state’s development. The government has implemented several measures to enhance water sources and their storage capacity, ensuring adequate drinking and irrigation water for Rajasthan’s 80 million people.

Rapid Progress on Ram Jalasetu Link Project

The Chief Minister highlighted that work on the Ram Jalasetu Link Project—which will meet the water needs of 40% of the state’s population—is progressing swiftly. Additionally, an MoU has been signed to bring Yamuna water to the Shekhawati region, while Udaipur’s Dewas Project is ensuring water availability. Plans have also been initiated to provide drinking and irrigation water from the Mahi Dam to Banswara and Dungarpur.

CM Sharma directed officials to formulate an effective plan to utilize excess water from the Ghaggar River during the monsoon season for drinking and irrigation, preventing its wastage. He also instructed the speedy completion of pending work on the Indira Gandhi Canal near the Punjab border and reviewed projects such as Jawai Dam, Mahi Dam, the Dewas Project, and the Yamuna Water Agreement. Officials briefed him using detailed maps of the Ghaggar River’s flow path.

Farmers’ Protest in Sri Ganganagar Ends

Water Resources Department officials informed that a farmers’ protest and road blockade in Gharsana, Sri Ganganagar—organized by the United Farmers’ Front demanding additional irrigation water from the Indira Gandhi Canal Project—was successfully resolved following discussions between the district administration and farmer representatives.

This year, due to low rainfall in Himachal Pradesh, water storage in Pong Dam remained low, and Ranjit Sagar Dam saw negligible inflow, making it challenging to provide irrigation water as in previous years. However, the state government secured its allocated share of water by January, months ahead of the scheduled May 20 deadline, ensuring irrigation support for farmers. The administration assured farmer representatives that every possible effort would be made to provide adequate water.

Water Conservation Initiatives in 40,000 Villages

CM Sharma highlighted that, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, a community-driven water conservation campaign has been launched, covering 40,000 villages across Rajasthan. He emphasized the importance of preserving traditional water sources such as wells, ponds, stepwells, and rivers through public participation to ensure clean drinking water for future generations.

The meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary for Water Resources, Abhay Kumar, along with senior officials from the Water Resources Department.