Under the visionary leadership and guidance of Haryana Chief Minister, Nayab Singh Saini, the World Bank has approved a loan of Rs. 4,000 crore under the Rs. 5,714 crore 'Jal Sanrakshit Haryana' Project, aimed at making the state self-reliant in the water sector.
Under the project, 15 clusters have been created in the state, covering an area of 48.94 lakh acres. The Chief Minister was presiding over a meeting of senior officers on Saturday to review the implementation of the 'Jal Sanrakshit Haryana' Project at Chandigarh.
Haryana Irrigation and Water Resources Minister, Smt. Shruti Choudhry was also present at the meeting. The Chief Minister directed officers to prepare a comprehensive water management plan and ensure its effective implementation at the grassroots level so that water reaches every field.
He emphasised the need for optimum use of treated water and stressed that every drop of water should be conserved and utilised efficiently. He also called for the development of a digital water management system to enable accurate monitoring of water availability, budgeting and usage across the state.
Village-Level water committees to be formed
The Chief Minister directed that village-level water committees be actively involved in the development and maintenance of khaals (water channels). He said a dedicated fund should be created for these committees, with the state government also contributing towards the maintenance and repair of khaals .
Describing Jal Sanrakshit Haryana as a flagship intensive water resource management programme, he said the project will be implemented in phases over six years, from 2026 to 2032. This funding will be used for extensive work in the canal sector, including the rehabilitation of the state's remaining 678 canals.
This includes rehabilitation of 106 canals with World Bank assistance at a cost of Rs.2,484.87 crore, 293 canals through state budget funding at a cost of Rs.2,230 crore, and 279 canals through NABARD-supported projects.
The Chief Minister further said that the MICADA programme will undertake the rehabilitation work of 620 khaals (water channels), benefiting around 3.18 lakh acres of agricultural land. Besides this, 120 canal-based micro-irrigation projects will be upgraded, extending irrigation benefits to approximately 56,830 acres of land.
The programme also includes reclamation of nearly 2 lakh acres of waterlogged land, promotion of Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) on 5 lakh acres, and encouragement of crop diversification on around 1.12 lakh acres of land. In addition, sustainable and water-conservation-based agriculture will be promoted through crop diversification, direct seeding of paddy, and other measures.
147 Water Bodies to be developed in seven districts
To strengthen groundwater recharge, approximately 147 water bodies will be developed in seven districts Bhiwani, Jind, Kaithal, Mahendragarh, Rewari, Charkhi Dadri and Sirsa. Besides this, treated wastewater from major Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) in Jind, Kaithal and Dhanwapur (Gurugram) will be reused for irrigation purposes.
These four STPs will cover 28,000 acres of land, with an estimated project cost of Rs. 282.13 crore. The Chief Minister said the World Bank has appreciated the state government's forward-looking approach and described the Jal Sanrakshit Haryana Programme as a transformational initiative in water resource management.
Upon completion, all canals in Haryana will be rehabilitated and modernised, significantly strengthening the state's irrigation infrastructure. He said the programme will not only serve as a milestone in making Haryana water-secure and self-reliant but will also reflect the government's commitment to ensuring a safe, inclusive and sustainable water future for coming generations.
Irrigation and Water Resources Minister, Smt. Shruti Choudhry, Chief Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Sh. Rajesh Khullar, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Sh. Arun Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary, Irrigation and Water Resources Department, Sh. Anurag Agarwal, Director General, Agriculture Department, Sh. Rajnarayan Kaushik, EIC cum HoD Spl. Sh. Birender Singh and other senior officers were present during the meeting.