UP positive on settling irrigation dispute with Uttarakhand

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has promised to settle the 14-year-old irrigation dispute with Uttarakhand.

"Very soon, we will discuss at the secretary-level how the matter pertaining to the irrigation properties can be resolved," Yadav had said here on Monday, after holding a meeting with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat. Rawat also described the talks as positive.

On the orders of the Supreme Court, the Union water resources ministry had asked the Uttar Pradesh government to hand over 41 canals to Uttarakhand in the first phase. Similarly, Uttarakhand was also asked to transfer control of eight canals to Uttar Pradesh.

But after the visit of Yadav to Dehradun on Monday, fresh hopes have arisen for the early settlement of the dispute. Yadav had come to attend a marriage at Mussoorie.

Since the inception of Uttarakhand 2000, Uttar Pradesh had refused to hand over the control of scores of irrigation projects located in Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar districts of the hill state, saying the issue can only be resolved by the Ganga Management Board. The provision for the board has been made under the Uttar Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000. The Ganga Management Board has not been set up so far.

Besides showing no interest in the old irrigation projects, Uttar Pradesh has also refused to give no objection certificates (NOCs) to some important irrigation projects in the hill state.

The Rs 193-crore Iqbalpur project, planned a decade ago by the state irrigation department to irrigate fields of Haridwar district, has failed to take off after the refusal of the Uttar Pradesh government to allow water from the main Ganga canal.

For the project, 600 cusecs of water is required from the Ganga canal, senior irrigation department officials said.

The project was sent for technical appraisal to the Central Water Commission (CWC), which sought an NOC from Uttar Pradesh.

When the request was made to the Uttar Pradesh irrigation department in this regard, it did not issue any NOC following which the project is now hanging fire.

"An investment of Rs 193 crore is proposed in the scheme. The Uttar Pradesh government has refused to give NOC," said the government official.

The official said the state was finding it tough to roll out new irrigation schemes, since the control of these water bodies and canals is with Uttar Pradesh.

Besides Iqbalpur irrigation project, a host of new schemes in Uttarakhand have gathered dust in files due to the dispute.

Few years ago, Uttarakhand High Court had handed over the control of nearly 41 canals and some reservoirs/dams to the hill state. However, the Uttar Pradesh government challenged the decision in the Supreme Court and the dispute is lingering on.