Rajasthan releases ₹53cr to Uttarakhand to bring Yamuna water

Jaipur: Rajasthan govt has released Rs 53 crore to the Uttarakhand govt for construction of the Lakhwar Dam project under the Yamuna Water Agreement, said water resources minister Suresh Singh Rawat said Tuesday during his visit to the project site in Uttarakhand.

Rawat inspected the under-construction dam and said the project was crucial for Rajasthan’s long-term water security, particularly for the water-scarce Shekhawati region.

“The state govt has so far released nearly Rs 53 crore to Uttarakhand for the project. This amount is part of Rajasthan’s total share of Rs 107 crore,” Rawat said.

The Lakhwar Dam project has a total storage capacity of 331 million cubic metres (MCM). After completion, Rajasthan is expected to receive about 30.91 MCM of water under its allocated share, which is likely to improve water availability in Shekhawati.

Officials said the Centre is bearing 90% of the water component cost, reducing the financial burden on participating states.

Rawat said, “The Detailed Project Report (DPR) work under the Yamuna Water Agreement had already been completed. He added that the Rajasthan government earmarked Rs 32,000 crore in the previous state budget for works related to bringing Yamuna water to the Shekhawati belt. “

The project is being seen as a major step towards addressing the region’s chronic water shortage.