In an attempt to revive the Saraswati river, the Haryana and Himachal Pradesh governments on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the construction of a dam in Himachal Pradesh in 77 acres, near the Adi Badri area of Haryana’s Yamuna Nagar district.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and his Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal for the rejuvenation of the Saraswati river at an estimated cost of ₹215.35 crore.
Mr. Thakur said the dam would not only revive the Saraswati river but also help in water conservation in the region. The project would also be of use for Himachal Pradesh as 3.92 hectare metres water per annum would be earmarked for the State for its drinking water requirements, and 57.96 hectare metres for irrigation water demand in project-affected habitations, he added.
He said that both the governments would be free to develop tourism projects as well as any other infrastructure facilities that may be required for the welfare and development of local people from their own resources, without compromising the primary objectives of the project.
Haryana CM Manohar Lal said that with the construction of the dam, the Saraswati river would flow throughout the year with 20 cusecs water all the time. “The course of the Ghaggar river is believed to be the course of the Saraswati river. This project would go a long way in the promotion of tourism activities in the area with the joint efforts of the Governments of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh,” he said, adding that with the completion of the project, ground water would also get recharged.
Mr. Lal said that the Adi Badri Dam Construction Monitoring Committee had been constituted for planning, supervising, and monitoring the dam works.
