Rajasthan is moving ahead with the implementation of the Yamuna Water Project, which aims to create the state’s first dedicated conveyance system to utilise its allocated share of Yamuna waters after more than three decades.
According to Additional Chief Secretary – Water Resources – Abhay Kumar, the project is designed to transport Rajasthan’s allocated water from the Hathnikund Barrage through a new pipeline network to water-deficit regions in the state.He said that under the 1994 Yamuna Water Agreement among five states, Rajasthan was allocated 1,119 million cubic metres (MCM) of water, accounting for 9.34 per cent of the total allocation.
During the monsoon period from July to October, 1,917 cusecs of water is allocated to Rajasthan at the Hathnikund Barrage, equivalent to 577 MCM annually. However, the state has not been able to utilise this allocation for the past 32 years because it lacked a dedicated conveyance system.Rajasthan and Haryana signed a Memorandum of Understanding on February 17, 2024, for the preparation of a joint detailed project report. The proposed project is intended to supply water to Churu, Sikar and Jhunjhunu districts, along with adjoining areas.
In the first phase, the project proposes the construction of a 295-km underground conveyance system comprising three pipelines of 3.6-metre diameter each under a hybrid gravity-and-pumping model. The estimated project cost is around ₹34,102 crore. Provision has also been made for up to 10 tapping points for Haryana’s drinking water requirements, while an inspection road along the pipeline has been proposed in accordance with MDR standards.The DPR was uploaded on the Central Water Commission’s e-PAMS portal on May 18, 2026, and is currently under examination. It adds that after completion of the Renukaji, Lakhwar and Kishau dam projects, Rajasthan is expected to receive 201 MCM of water through the same conveyance system.
The project cost has been estimated at ₹34,102.24 crore, of which ₹27,748.96 crore has been earmarked for construction works. Land acquisition is estimated to cost ₹3,881.08 crore, taking the combined project and land cost to ₹31,630.04 crore. Additional allocations include ₹293.20 crore for operation and maintenance and ₹1,382.09 crore towards energy requirements
