Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma to Review Yamuna Water Progress — Second Joint Task Force Meeting Scheduled in Hisar on April 25

Jaipur : Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma will review the progress of the Yamuna water project on April 21 in Pilani, Jhunjhunu district, ahead of the second joint meeting of the Haryana-Rajasthan Task Force. Senior officials from the Haryana government will also attend this review. The second joint meeting of the Task Force from both states is scheduled to be held on April 25 in Hisar.

It is noteworthy that under the 1994 Yamuna Water Agreement between Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Delhi, 1917 cusecs (577 MCM annually) of water was allocated to Rajasthan during the monsoon season (July to October) from the Tajewala Headworks (Hathnikund Barrage). However, for the past 30 years, Rajasthan was unable to access the allocated water due to a deadlock.

Due to the relentless efforts of Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, the positive cooperation of the Central Government, and the intervention of the Central Water Commission, this impasse was resolved. On February 17, 2024, a formal agreement was signed in the presence of the Chief Ministers of Rajasthan and Haryana and the Union Minister for Jal Shakti.

As per the agreement, in Phase 1, both states agreed to jointly prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for a flow-based system to bring drinking water from the Hathnikund Barrage to Rajasthan. Accordingly, Task Forces were formed by the Rajasthan and Haryana governments to implement the agreement. A meeting between the Additional Chief Secretaries of the Water Resources Departments of both states was held on March 26, 2025, in Chandigarh to discuss the preparation of the joint DPR.

Following this, the first joint meeting of the Haryana-Rajasthan Task Force was held on April 7 in Yamunanagar, Haryana, during which preliminary discussions were held regarding actual ground-level testing along the proposed alignment.

Under this project, it is proposed that three underground pipelines will be laid to carry water from Hathnikund Barrage to the Hansiawas Reservoir in Churu district. MOUs for Renukaji and Lakhwar storage projects (upstream of Hathnikund Barrage in the Upper Yamuna Basin) have already been signed. Rajasthan has paid its share of ₹77.90 crore to Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand as per these agreements. The MOU for the Kishau project is yet to be finalized.

Once these projects are completed, Rajasthan will be able to receive its allocated 201 MCM of post-monsoon water from Hathnikund Barrage through these pipelines year-round.

To ensure effective monitoring and speedy implementation, the state government has created a new post of Additional Chief Engineer, Yamuna Water, under the Water Resources Department. With the government’s proactive efforts, the long-standing dream of bringing Yamuna water to the Shekhawati region is now moving towards reality.