Haryana and Rajasthan on Monday (June 29) inked a deal in New Delhi in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to put into effect the 1994 Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB) accord, which will enable Rajasthan to draw water from Hathinikund Barrage in Haryana during the monsoon months, officials confirmed.
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The chief ministers of Haryana, Nayab Singh Saini, and Rajasthan, Bhajan Lal Sharma, were present at the MoU-signing event, along with Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil.
Speaking on the occasion, CM Sharma said the day was very important for both states and will be recorded in “history in golden letters”, IANS reported.
His Haryana counterpart Saini said the deal was the result of continuous discussions and meetings that have been taking place for a long time, the agency added.
Agreement could not be implemented in 32 years
Despite being signed more than three decades ago, the UYRB agreement could not be implemented till now due to the absence of a canal system to supply water to Rajasthan.
After the agreement, the desert state will get its due water through an underground water pipeline from the barrage during monsoon months.
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The MoU was signed on May 12, 1994, by the Yamuna basin States, namely Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, and the National Capital Territory of Delhi, regarding the allocation of the surface flow of the Yamuna River.
After its creation in 2000, Uttarakhand was also included in the deal.
(With agency inputs)
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