Renuka Dam pact invalid, Delhi still hopeful (The Indian Express- 01 June 2010)

Geeta Gupta

New delhi : With most water resources running out for Delhi, the state government is banking on the Renuka Dam project to provide it an additional 270 million gallons of water a day by 2016 — when the project expected to be complete.

There is, however, a major hurdle in way of Delhi getting the additional water. The Implementation Agreement that was signed in 1994 by all basin states, except Rajasthan, has since become invalid due to legal issues.

That means Delhi’s hopes of augmenting its water supply from the Renuka project, which was conceptulised in 1994, have no legal basis.

Officials, however, said the Renuka Dam has been listed as a national project, and issues regarding the absence of a valid agreement would be sorted out within the next five years.
Delhi Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta and Delhi Jal Board chief Ramesh Negi, who were on their first visit to the project site in Himachal Pradesh earlier this month, have said they are satisfied by the progress so far.

“We hope work on the project will begins soon, as it will take another five years for it to take shape. Delhi has a strong case for its drinking water needs,” Negi said.

Calling the meeting with representatives of the Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL), the implementing agency, as satisfactory, Mehta said: “The HPPCL has already spent Rs 50 crore of the Rs 215 crore given by the Delhi government on pre-construction activities. While the project has already been accorded environment clearance, forest clearance is awaited.”
About the absence of a legal agreement on water sharing between basin states, Mehta said those issues would be sorted out in the interim period, while the construction on the dam is started.
Newsline has learnt that Rajasthan, which refused to sign the agreement in 1994, wants a share in the project now, and it is also ready to share costs. Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, too, want to share the benefits of the project, as well as the costs.

“Rajasthan is interested in sharing power from the project. The Renuka Dam project would yield only 40 MW power, which the host state wants to keep. We in Delhi have surplus power, and are ready to give as much to Rajasthan,” a senior Delhi government official said.
There are, however, fears that Delhi’s water sharing dreams from the project would end up like the Munak Canal project.

While the construction of the concrete channel parallel to the Western Yamuna Canal from Munak in Haryana to Wazirabad in Delhi is in the final stages, Haryana is not ready to give the additional water, which will be available after the canal is operational, to Delhi. Incidentally, the Delhi government has borne the entire project cost of Rs 550 crore.

Parched, despite spending money

* Delhi expects the Renuka Dam to provide it 270 MGD. Has given the Himachal Pradesh government Rs 215 crore for the project.

* The state also invested Rs 550 crore in Munak Canal project, expecting Haryana to provide Delhi 80 MGD. Haryana has now said it will not give water to Delhi.

* With an eye on the additional water that Munak Canal would have supplied to Delhi, the state built a 20 MGD water treatment plant (WTP) at Okhla, a 20 MGD WTP at Bawana and a 50 MGD WTP at Dwarka. They are now lying unused.