Excavation work to restore Saraswati river commences

Shiv Kumar Sharma

Yamunanagar, April 21

On Akshaya Tritiya, Haryana Assembly Speaker Kanwar Pal Gurjar inaugurated ‘Resurgence of Saraswati Project’ and began the excavation work of the river in Rulla Heri village of Yamunanagar district on Tuesday.

He said the Saraswati river had sunk into oblivion as a physical entity, but it would soon turn into reality and flow on ground like Ganga and Yamuna, quenching the thirst of a vast area. Several places falling in the vicinity of the river would also be developed as tourist spots under the project, he added.

This project assumes great significance in many ways. It can put Yamunanagar on the national tourism map. Several industries such as hotels and resorts will get a boost and the development will also generate employment in the area.

“The project will prove to be a milestone in the development of this area as it will promote eco-tourism, pilgrimage tourism, water conservation and improve ecological balance,” said Deputy Commissioner SS Phulia.

The project will also add political mileage to the credit of the BJP. The chairman of Saraswati River Shodh Sansthan and RSS veteran Darshan Lal Jain, 88, have been actively pursuing this project since 1999.

Presiding over the programme, Darshan Lal Jain said, “Saraswati is revered not merely for its sanctity, but also for being the mother of the ancient civilisation and cradle of Vedic literature that was conceived on its bank.”

He said the evidence of the flow of Saraswati river and how it meandered as well as the river capturing situations can be seen clearly in various research papers, survey of India maps, revenue records, archaeological findings and latest satellite images.

Gagandeep Singh, District Development and Panchayat Officer, who is co-coordinating the project with other departments, said the Irrigation Department had suggested a low-surface dam on Somb river to store water in the monsoon and it could be diverted to Saraswati river.

“In this area, the flood of Somb river wreaks havoc, destroying crops, causing land erosion and damaging a number of houses in the rainy season every year. With completion of this project, people of the area would get relief,” said the DDPO. The river would pass through 43 villages of the district. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has already announced Rs 50 crore for Saraswati Revival Project.

The river originates from Adi Badri in Yamunanagar. It is believed that the river course passes underground through Kurukshetra, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad and Sirsa districts before entering Rajasthan and Gujarat.