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Haryana to launch World Bank-supported water management project
Of the total cost of the programme around ₹4,000 crore support will come from the World Bank under its programme-for-results framework.
Haryana government on Thursday announced to launch a ₹5,700 crore “Water Secure Haryana” programme supported by the World Bank.
Of the total cost of the programme around ₹4,000 crore support will come from the World Bank under its programme-for-results framework. The six-year project, expected to commence in 2026, aims to transform Haryana’s irrigation and water management systems through integrated, data-driven, and performance-based approaches, a government spokesperson said.
During a meeting with World Bank representatives held on Thursday, chief secretary Anurag Rastogi described the programme as a “paradigm shift” in the state’s approach to water management. He said the initiative would play a key role in achieving the vision of making Haryana India’s first truly water-secure state by the end of this programme in 2032.
Rastogi said that this project will have a component of Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) and requested the World Bank team to add their valuable suggestions in this context.
A senior World Bank representative described the initiative as “not just an irrigation project, it is Haryana’s blueprint to become India’s first truly water-secure state”.
Coverage across 18 districts
The programme will directly intervene in 14 irrigation clusters spanning 18 districts, covering a Culturable Command Area (CCA) of 363,546 hectares. In a similar pattern, the remaining districts will be covered in Haryana with funding from NABARD, state budget or other agencies. While the physical interventions will focus on specific clusters, the planning and institutional reforms will benefit all 22 districts of Haryana.
The spokesperson said that a total of 1,798 kilometres of canals across 14 strategic irrigation clusters will be upgraded with advanced automation and real-time monitoring systems.
Nearly 80 water bodies in various districts of southern Haryana will be rejuvenated to enhance groundwater recharge, while water from four major sewage treatment plants in Jind, Kaithal and Gurugram will be treated and reused to irrigate 11,500 hectares of farmland.
Cluster-based micro-irrigation systems, including rehabilitation of water courses will be implemented in identified 14 strategic irrigation clusters with active participation of Water User Associations (WUAs). WUAs will be formed and strengthened to ensure community-led water management and the farmer consultation meetings will be jointly organised by the irrigation department officials in this project to bring collective results.
The spokesperson said that the agriculture department will promote sustainable agriculture across 14 strategic irrigation clusters through measures like crop diversification and direct seeded rice (DSR) etc.
