Rajasthan has prepared a detailed project report (DPR) for a proposed underground canal aimed at carrying Yamuna waters from the Hathnikund Barrage in Haryana to Hansiyawas in Rajasthan’s Churu district.
The proposal emerged after a high-level meeting held in New Delhi on May 13 among Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma regarding the Yamuna water-sharing arrangement.
According to sources in the Haryana Irrigation Department, the proposed canal will be 295.5 km long with a carrying capacity of 1,900 cusecs. The canal is proposed to be constructed entirely underground using RCC pipes, with Rajasthan bearing the full construction cost.
Sources said the joint DPR prepared under the Yamuna water agreement has already been shared with the Haryana Government and would soon be uploaded on the Central Water Commission portal for scrutiny and further approval.
“Following detailed discussions with the Haryana Government and approval from the Central Water Commission, work on the project will start on the ground,” sources said.
Under the memorandum of understanding signed between Haryana and Rajasthan on February 17, 2024, Yamuna water allocated from the Hathnikund Barrage during July to October will be supplied to Rajasthan’s Churu, Sikar and Jhunjhunu districts through the proposed underground pipeline canal.
The canal alignment will pass through six Haryana districts — Yamunanagar, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind and Hisar — before entering Rajasthan. Of the total proposed length, nearly 290 km falls within Haryana.
As per the DPR, Rajasthan will draw water during the monsoon months, while the Haryana Irrigation Department will be able to use the canal during the remaining nine months. The report also proposes acquisition of land in a 25-metre-wide corridor and construction of a road alongside the underground canal for security and monitoring purposes.
In Hisar district, four outlets have been proposed near Chaudhary Minor, Sarsana Crossing, Barwala Canal and Danoda Kalan to enable water supply to other canals in Haryana. The Haryana Government has also shared details of tapping points for potable water supply in certain areas.
An Irrigation Department official confirmed that the proposal submitted by the Rajasthan Government was under examination.
According to the proposed alignment, the canal will pass through Litani, Gaibipur, Naya Gaon, Beed Hisar, Dhandur, Nyoli Kalan, Shahpur, Hindwan, Panihar, Gorchi and Gawar villages in Hisar district. Farmers whose land is acquired for the project will be compensated in accordance with the Haryana Government’s land acquisition policy, the DPR states.
