Haryana ropes in HP, Rajasthan, Uttaranchal in mission
Ajay Bhardwaj
It was on November 17, 1985, that Padma Shri Dr V.S. Wakankar started a three-day Sarasvati Shodh Yatra from Adi Badri, Yamuna Nagar under the inspiration of Manopanth Pingle. Union Minister and former Chief Minister Mr Manohar Lal Khattar, who set up the Haryana Sarasvati Heritage Development Board (HSHDB), had actively participated in it.
As the HSHDB came into being in October 2015 with a purpose of reviving the culture and heritage of River Sarasvati and presenting it to the world, since then it has taken many big strides to revive the Sarasvati heritage that reflected the nation's cultural and spiritual pride.
The pieces of evidence from the archaeological excavations, so far, at places like Adi Badri, Rakhigarhi in Haryana, Barod, Tarkhan Wala Dera and Chakk 86 sites in Rajasthan and Junikaran and Dholavira in Gujarat link them to the Sarasvati-Sindhu civilisation, which existed several hundred years before the Harappan and Mohenjodaro period.
Ever since more than 70 organisations like ISRO, GSI, SOI, ASI, ONGC, NIH Roorkee, BARC, Sarasvati Nadi Shodh Sansthan have been engaged in the research work on the Sarasvati River heritage.
Based on the research documents, reports, and scientific facts, it has been established that the palaeochannels of the Sarasvati River are still existing from Adi Badri (Haryana) to Rann of Kachch (Gujarat).
The restoration of invaluable Sarasvati heritage, cultural values and advanced ancient civilisation shall place India in a unique position in the world. The goal is to expand this revival from glacier sources in Uttarakhand all the way through HP, Haryana, Rajasthan and finally to Ram Kutch in Gujarat.
Lately, one of the most positive developments has been that other neighbouring states have also joined hands in the mission of reviving the Sarasvati river and the Sarasvati culture.
After Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, Rajasthan too joined hands with the HSHDB following which Rajasthan recently formed a dedicated advisory panel to work on the restoration and revival of the Sarasvati river in the state with the support from the HSHDB. The committee includes representatives from ISRO and the Rajasthan water resources department.
Giving it a new push HSHDB vice chairman Dhuman Singh Kirmach met the Rajasthan Irrigation minister Suresh Rawat and other officials and proposed collaborative work to reintroduce water flow to parts of Rajasthan through the ancient Saraswati system. There is clear evidence that after passing through areas of Haryana, the Sarasvati river traversed through parts of Rajasthan before joining the Rann of Kutch and merging in the Arabian sea.
The HSHDB and the Geological Survey of India (GSI) are conducting comprehensive studies to reconstruct the fluvial history of the palaeo-course of ancient Sarasvati River system in parts of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab,Rajasthan and Gujarat.
Meanwhile, the HSHDB has intensified its efforts in Uttaranchal and Himachal Pradesh with comprehensive archeological and hydrological studies of the Ton river, a major glacier-fed stream originating from near Dehradun in Uttaranchal. Historical and scientific evidence suggest that the Ton river might have been a key tributary of the mythical Saraswati river.
The HSHDB vice chairman recently visited Dakpathar barrage near Dehradun where the Ton river merges with Yammun. The GSI and other institutions have also demonstrated interest to join the study that indicates that the Ton river might have flowed westward into the ancient Saraswati system before the tectonic shift diverted it to join the Yammuna.
The HSHDB has already demonstrated success in Haryana where water was channeled through a 400-km stretch from Adi Badri on the Himachal border in Yamunanagar district to Ottu headwaroks near Rajasthan border connecting seasonal rivers during monsoons.
In 2021 Haryana had approved Rs 800 cores project for revival of Saraswati river, under which Saraswati Dam, Saraswati Barrage and Saraswati Reservoir will be constructed at Adi Badri. Besides this, interlinking of Markanda and Saraswati rivers through Kainthla supply channel will also be undertaken.
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Blurbs
In Haryana, the Sarasvati water has been channeled through a 400-km stretch from Adi Badri on the Himachal border in Yamunanagar district to Ottu headwaroks near Rajasthan border connecting seasonal rivers during monsoons. =========
The HSHDB and the GSI are conducting comprehensive studies to reconstruct the fluvial history of the palaeo-course of ancient Sarasvati River system in parts of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab,Rajasthan and Gujarat.
EOM