Govt making all efforts to revive Saraswati: Khattar

Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the government was making all efforts to rejuvenate the Saraswati river and ensure its smooth flow through the year.

He was here in Pehowa to attend the concluding day of cultural events of International Saraswati Mahotsav on Sunday. The Saras fair, being organised as part of the mahotsav, will conclude on February 4.

Addressing a gathering, the Union Minister said: “It has been proved by satellite and other scientific facts that the Saraswati flows from Adi Badri through Haryana to Rann of Kutch. The efforts to make the river flow on the land of Haryana were started in 1986. The Haryana Saraswati Heritage Development Board (HSHDB) was established 10 years ago for rejuvenating the river. Over the past 10 years, encroachment from about 80 per cent of the land on the river route has been removed by the board. It was a big project.”

“The International Saraswati Mahotsav and International Gita Mahotsav are being organised in Kurukshetra with the aim of keeping the culture alive and introducing the cultural heritage to the young generation. The Kurukshetra Development Board and the Haryana Saraswati Heritage Development Board have been playing a crucial role in preserving the heritage. There are hundreds of tirthas along the banks of Saraswati. The ghats are being developed by the board”, he added.

The union minister visited the Saras fair. As many as 1,100 students recited the Saraswati Shalokas.