DW BUREAU / NEW DELHI Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh have "backed out" from plans to give extra water to Delhi, while Haryana is not keen to pursue a water exchange proposal with the national capital, according to officials. Proposals involving Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh were being pursued since 2019. The two states pulled out around six to eight months ago, they said. Delhi had a plan to exchange 140 million gallons a day (MGD) of treated wastewater for freshwater from Uttar Pradesh. "Uttar Pradesh said it could share 270 cusecs of water from the Ganga through the Murad Nagar regulator and Delhi had promised to release an equal amount of treated wastewater to UP from Okhla for irrigation purposes. "After multiple meetings and field inspections, Uttar Pradesh wrote to us around six months ago that the idea has been dropped," an official said on condition of anonymity. The Centre was in favour of the proposal but Uttar Pradesh denied it. They did not give any reason for doing so, he said. Delhi also held deliberations with Haryana on a proposal to share 20 MGD of treated wastewater for irrigation through Jaunti and Auchandi regulators in lieu of freshwater through Carrier Lined Canal (CLC) and Delhi Sub Branch (DSB). "Haryana has not agreed to the proposal yet. There is a very slim chance of it happening now," the official said. Another official said the proposal for a water exchange with Haryana is pending at the level of the Upper Yamuna River Board. Delhi generates around 770 MGD of wastewater. The 34 sewage treatment plants located at 20 locations across the city treat up to 570 MGD of sewage. Around 90 MGD of treated wastewater is being utilised for horticulture in parks and forests, irrigation and DTC depots. The capital is obligated to release 267 MGD of treated wastewater into the Yamuna to maintain the environmental flow. In December 2019, Himachal Pradesh signed an MoU to sell its share of Yamuna water to Delhi at Rs 21 crore per annum. Water had to be delivered at Tajewala (in Haryana's Yamuna Nagar district) to Delhi. According to a statement released at that time, Himachal Pradesh was supposed to "provide regular, daily supply of 368 cusecs (198 MGD) from November to February and 268 cusecs (144 MGD) from March to June every year." According to a multi-state agreement signed in 1994, Himachal Pradesh gets a three per cent share of Yamuna water. (editor@dailyworld.in)