Haryana to help Rajasthan fight drought

By Our Staff Correspondent

JAIPUR, MAY 11. The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr. Om Prakash Chautala, today assured all help to Rajasthan in its fight against drought for the third consecutive year by supplying water and fodder to the State.

Mr. Chautala, who met the Rajasthan Chief Minister, Mr. Ashok Gehlot, for an hour in the Assembly here on Thursday, said the help by Haryana would be of the same scale of assistance provided last year when it had sent 14 rakes and several hundred trucks of fodder. He said he was ready to give Rajasthan its full share in the Yamuna basin waters. One rake of fodder had already left Haryana for free distribution in Rajasthan.

Talking to reporters after meeting Mr. Gehlot, Mr. Chautala - who was on a day's visit to Jaipur - said there was no dispute on sharing the Yamuna water between the two States. ``The engineers from the two sides can sit together and finalise the modalities of supplying Yamuna water to Rajasthan.''

Denying any delay in giving Rajasthan its share, Mr. Chautala said Haryana's part of the Sidhmukh canal had been constructed on a war-footing after his Government took over. It would be functional as soon as Rajasthan completes construction on its part.

Rajasthan's share in the Yamuna water is 3,157 cusecs and touches the level of 2,650 cusecs after losses.

While the technical feasibility will play a major role in deciding the quantity of water to be brought in initially, the Rajasthan Government intends to build a parallel system adjacent to the Mahendragarh canal on the Haryana-Rajasthan border for bringing water to Jhunjhunu district.

Mr. Chautala said all inter-State disputes should be resolved in the spirit of mutual accommodation by the States concerned but the Centre had to intervene if the dispute was between more than two States and involved complexities.

He said Haryana's dispute on water sharing with Punjab was pending in the Supreme Court.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Other States
Previous : Fear of killer heat wave in Orissa
Next     : Electoral malpractice by Gehlot alleged