Jaipur: Rajasthan and Haryana Sunday moved a step closer to implementing the long-pending Yamuna Water Project after senior officials of the two states finalised the draft memorandum of agreement (MoA) for the inter-state initiative. The agreement is scheduled to be signed by the chief ministers of Rajasthan and Haryana on June 30.Rajasthan chief secretary V Srinivas reached New Delhi with Haryana officials for project discussions. At the final drafting committee meeting held at Bikaner House, senior officers of both states approved the MoA, paving the way for construction works to bring Yamuna waters to Rajasthan.The project seeks to channel surplus monsoon water from the Hathnikund Barrage in Haryana to Rajasthan’s drought-prone Shekhawati region, benefiting Churu, Sikar and Jhunjhunu districts. Officials said the project is expected to improve drinking water supply and provide irrigation support in one of the state’s most water-stressed regions.The MoA operationalises provisions of the 1994 Yamuna Water Agreement, under which Rajasthan is entitled to a 10.4% share of Yamuna waters. Once implemented, the project will facilitate the transfer of up to 577 million cubic metres (MCM) of water annually during the monsoon season, from July to Oct.The proposed project includes an underground pipeline network of about 265-295km to transport water from Haryana to Rajasthan. The Rajasthan component is estimated to cost around Rs 32,000 crore.Officials said the project is expected to strengthen water security in the Shekhawati region while enabling Rajasthan to utilise its allocated share under the decades-old river water-sharing agreement.