Fresh start, 16 years on: UP gives 28 canals to state
DEHRADUN: After 16 years of legal and administrative tussles, the Uttar Pradesh irrigation department has finally broken the ice and handed over 28 minor canals to Uttarakhand. This development comes after the BJP governments took reins of both the states last week.
The hill state is hopeful of getting rest of the properties from UP in the coming months. The UP irrigation department has a control over several barrages and canals that are located in Uttarakhand.
On Thursday, more than a dozen officials of the irrigation department from both the states met in Haridwar and signed documents to transfer 28 canals that get water from the upper Ganga canal in Haridwar. These minor canals irrigate water in plains of Haridwar.
“Uttar Pradesh had issued an order for the transfer of canals in December last year but has been executed now. From now on, the Uttarakhand irrigation department will collect revenue and maintain the minor canals,” CB Yadav, executive engineer of Uttar Pradesh irrigation department, told HT on Friday.
He assured Uttar Pradesh which maintains the flow of water in the upper Ganga canal, will give sufficient supply of water for irrigation to Uttarakhand.
Although UP has transferred the rights of minor canals, land and buildings located near the canals are under Lucknow.
Yadav said the original transfer order had no mention about the transfer of other properties. Both the states were at loggerheads ever since Uttarakhand was carved out of UP in 2000. In Haridwar, Kumbh area that has the upper Ganga canal is with Uttar Pradesh.
Some 13,000 hectare land, over 400 buildings, over 20 canals and five major barrages – Nanak Sagar, Sharda Sagar, Baigul, Dhaura and Kichha - are under the UP’s control.
In the previous years, several rounds of secretary level talks were held to sort out the matter, on the directives of court but nothing concrete came out.