By Dr. Subodh Agarwal, IAS
Water — the lifeline of desert people.Striking a balance between drinking water needs and irrigation demands has always been a delicate challenge in Rajasthan.
In a water-starved desert state like Rajasthan, water is not merely a commodity — it is the lifeline of its people.
The Rajasthan State Water Policy (2010) rightly prioritises drinking water as the highest use under the framework of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). Yet, as water flows through open channels across farmlands, irrigation requirements and local pressures often take precedence, creating a constant tension between human necessity and agricultural demand.
Against this backdrop, the creation of dedicated open reservoirs exclusively for drinking water in the desert region marks a transformative shift in public policy and strategic thinking.
Rajasthan has taken a bold step by converting four long-standing canal escapes along the Indira Gandhi Canal Project (IGNP) into full-fledged drinking-water reservoirs:
• RD 507 – near Loonkaransar–Dungargarh (Bikaner district)• RD 750 – Khajuwala region (Bikaner district)• RD 1121 – serving Jodhpur, Barmer, and Pali districts• RD 1356 – near Mohangarh (Jaisalmer district)
These reservoirs will capture monsoon surplus from the Sutlej–Harike system — water that once flowed downstream into Pakistan — and instead supply a reliable drinking-water source for nearly 6 million people across Rajasthan’s arid western belt.
By relining and expanding existing basins on government land — without the need for new acquisition — the state has demonstrated how innovation and prudence can work together seamlessly.
This initiative, driven under the visionary leadership of Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, reflects Rajasthan’s growing commitment to a water revolution that is quietly reshaping both its landscape and its future.
A powerful example of how engineering foresight, governance reform, and visionary leadership can collectively redefine the water future of India’s driest state.
Policy. People. Progress. #Subodh
