HIGHLIGHTS:
• Haryana and Himachal Pradesh reached an agreement to build a dam at Adi Badri in Yamunanagar district.
• The Saraswati River will be revitalised as a result of the dam.
• The project’s total cost is Rs 215.33 crore.
What is in the News?
Haryana and Himachal Pradesh reached an agreement to build a dam at Adi Badri in Yamunanagar district on January 21, 2022. The governments of Himachal Pradesh and Haryana signed an MoU in Panchkula for the construction of the Adi Badri Dam, which will be built on 77 acres in Himachal Pradesh near the Adi Badri area of Haryana’s Yamuna Nagar district.
About Adi Badri Dam
• The Saraswati River will be revitalised as a result of the dam.
• It’s near the Himachal Pradesh border in Haryana.
• The location is known as the river’s starting point.
• Religious beliefs will be restored once the Saraswati River is rejuvenated.
• In addition, the area will be developed as a pilgrimage destination.
• In Himachal Pradesh, the dam would be erected on 31.66 hectares of land.
• It measures 101.06 metres in width and 20.5 metres in height.
• The project’s total cost is Rs 215.33 crore.
• The Somb river, which flows into the Yamuna River near Adi Badri in Yamunanagar, will also supply water to the Adi Badri dam.
Water Share
Every year, the dam will be able to hold 224.58 hectare metres of water.
Himachal Pradesh and Haryana will receive 61.88 acre metres of water, with the rest flowing into the Saraswati River.
The project’s objective
The Adi Badti Dam will be constructed with the goal of revitalising the Saraswati River and raising groundwater levels. The dam will also aid in the management of floods caused by extreme rainfall. A lake is also being constructed near the dam, which will boost tourism.
Background
In 1986-87, research on reviving the Saraswati River began. The investigation began in Adi Badri, Yamunanagar, and ended in Kutch.
Who is in charge of the research?
Kurukshetra University and the Haryana Saraswati Heritage Development Board are conducting research on the Saraswati River.
Sarasvati River in India.
Sarasvati is a deified river mentioned in both Vedic and post-Vedic sources, including the Rig Veda. In Vedic religion, the river was very important. In northwestern India, it is revered as a big and holy river. It began in the Himalayan village of Kapal Tirith, flowed to Mansarovar, and then turned west. It used to run through Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat’s northwestern region. It passed across Pakistan before reaching the Western Sea via the Rann of Kutch. The river was about 4,000 kilometres long.
