Haryana, Rajasthan Sign MoU to implement 1994 Yamuna Water Agreement

Haryana and Rajasthan signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to implement the long-pending 1994 Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB) agreement, paving the way for Rajasthan to receive its allocated share of Yamuna water through the Hathini Kund Barrage during the monsoon season.

The agreement was signed in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma also attended the signing ceremony.

The implementation marks a major breakthrough after more than three decades, as the 1994 water-sharing agreement had remained pending due to the absence of a dedicated canal network to transport water to Rajasthan.

Under the new arrangement, Rajasthan will receive its allocated share of Yamuna water through an underground pipeline from the Hathini Kund Barrage during the monsoon months, eliminating the earlier infrastructure bottleneck that had delayed implementation.

The original Memorandum of Understanding was signed on May 12, 1994, between the Yamuna basin states—Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and the National Capital Territory of Delhi—for the allocation of the Yamuna River's surface water.

Following the creation of Uttarakhand in 2000, the newly formed state was also included as a signatory to the water-sharing arrangement.

The agreement is expected to improve water availability for Rajasthan while strengthening inter-state cooperation on river water management. Officials said the implementation of the decades-old pact reflects the Centre's efforts to resolve long-pending interstate water-sharing issues through consensus and infrastructure development.