Pachna Dam dispute resolved after 20 years; consensus reached in Jaipur meeting

Jaipur, June 30 (IANS) A breakthrough has been achieved in the long-pending Pachna Dam water-sharing dispute, with both sides reaching a consensus after nearly two decades of conflict. The resolution came after a high-level meeting convened in Jaipur on the directions of Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma.

Cabinet Ministers Kirodi Lal Meena, Jawahar Singh Bedham, and Suresh Rawat, along with senior officials, held extensive discussions with representatives of both groups involved in the dispute. After negotiations, both parties agreed on a settlement and thanked the Chief Minister and the state government for facilitating the dialogue and helping bring the issue to a conclusion.

The Pachna Dam dispute had remained unresolved for almost 20 years and involved 74 villages in Karauli district. Farmers from 35 command-area villages had been demanding the release of irrigation water through the canal network, arguing that the prolonged water stoppage had severely affected agriculture and caused heavy financial losses.

On the other hand, residents of 39 villages located in the dam’s submergence zone opposed the release, claiming that diverting water into the canals would reduce water availability in their own region and worsen local scarcity. The issue had repeatedly triggered protests, political interventions, and court proceedings.

Recently, the Rajasthan High Court expressed displeasure over the failure to release water despite earlier directions and asked the government to ensure compliance. Earlier, a meeting at Jaipur’s Shiksha Sankul had ended without a breakthrough, with farmer representatives walking out and disagreements surfacing over the draft agreement.

However, continued negotiations under the supervision of the three ministers eventually led to a consensus. The agreement is being viewed as a significant step toward resolving one of eastern Rajasthan’s most sensitive water disputes and restoring irrigation arrangements in the affected command area.

–IANS

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