Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday said that the Saraswati river, which has been extinct for many years, will be rejuvenated with the construction of Adi Badri Dam.
The Chief Minister said this while speaking at the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony held for the construction of Dam at Adibadri in the presence of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur at PWD Rest House, Panchkula on Friday. Haryana Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal and Himachal Pradesh Chief Secretary Ram Subhag Singh officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the construction of the dam in the presence of both the Chief Ministers.
Khattar said that today his 35-year-old dream has come true. He had travelled in 1986-87 in connection with the research being done regarding the revival of Saraswati. This journey started from Adi Badri in Yamunanagar and reached Kutch. Due to the construction of the Adi Badri Dam, 20 cusecs of water will flow continuously in the Saraswati river. With this, water will flow in Saraswati throughout the year, added the Chief Minister.
He said that there is not only a religious belief regarding the flow of Saraswati River but its presence underground has also been proved through satellite. For conducting research on Saraswati River, a chair has been set up in Kurukshetra University, besides Haryana Saraswati Heritage Development Board has also been established.
Haryana Government has notified an area of 200 km from Adi Badri to Ghaggar river via Kaithal for Saraswati River. A mention of the same can also be found in the revenue records.
The Chief Minister said that this dam would be built on 31.66 hectares of land in the Himachal Pradesh region and an amount of Rs.215.33 crore would be spent for the same. It will store 224.58 hectare meters of water every year, of which Himachal Pradesh will get 61.88 hectare meters of water and Haryana will get the remaining 162-hectare meters of water. This water will flow into the Saraswati river.