New Delhi, May 14 (PTI) Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil met Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday to discuss the issue of water supply in Rajasthan's Jhunjhunu, Sikar and Churu districts.

According to sources, the meeting has been held as part of the efforts to transport water to Rajasthan through an underground pipeline from Hathnikund Barrage.

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A joint meeting of the task force formed by the Rajasthan and Haryana governments to implement the Yamuna Water Agreement was held on April 7 in this regard. The sources also informed that a second joint meeting was held on April 25.

A consultant will soon be appointed to prepare the detailed project report (DPR) for the pipeline.

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This meeting between the VP and the Union minister came after farmers recently protested at Lal Chowk in Chirawa town of Jhunjhunu district, demanding Yamuna water. Jhunjhunu is Dhankar's native district.

The project aims to ensure drinking water supply, particularly to the water-scarce districts of Jhunjhunu, Sikar and Churu.

Sources said that the prospects for the ground-level implementation of the Yamuna Water Agreement have strengthened, given the recent developments and Dhankhar's emphasis on a permanent solution to the region's water crisis.

Under an agreement signed in 1994 between Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi, 11,983 million cubic metres (MCM) of Yamuna river water was allocated, out of which Rajasthan was allotted 1,119 MCM annually.

In line with the agreement, the 22nd meeting of the Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB) was held in 2001, where it was decided to allocate 1,917 cusecs (equivalent to 577 MCM annually) of water to Rajasthan during the monsoon season (July to October).

However, due to the lack of necessary transport infrastructure to bring water from the Hathnikund Barrage, Rajasthan has been unable to receive its share of water since 1994.

In February 2025, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the governments of Rajasthan, Haryana and the Ministry of Jal Shakti to meet drinking water and other needs.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)