Governments of Haryana and  Himachal Pradesh signed an agreement to build a dam at Adi Badri in Yamunanagar district.

Keypoints:

About Adi Badri Dam:

• The Dam will rejuvenate the mythical Saraswati River.It is situated in Haryana near Himachal Pradesh border.
• The place is considered as river’s origin point.With the rejuvenation of Saraswati River, religious beliefs will also be revived.
• The area will also be developed as a pilgrimage site.The Dam will be built on 31.66 hectares of land in Himachal Pradesh. It has a width of 101.06 metres and height 20.5 metres.
• Total cost of the project is Rs 215.33 crore.Dam at Adi Badri will also get water from the Somb river, which falls in Yamuna River near Adi Badri in Yamunanagar.

Water Share:

• The dam will have the capacity of 224.58-hectare metres of water every year. Out of it, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana will get 61.88-hectare metres of water while remaining will flow into the Saraswati River.

Objective of the project:

• The Adi Badti Dam will be built with the objective of reviving the Saraswati River and to increase ground water level. Dam will also help in dealing with the flood situation arising out of excessive rainfall. A lake is also being built near the dam, which in turn will promote tourism.

Background:

• Research on revival of Saraswati River had started in 1986-87. Research started from Adi Badri in Yamunanagar and reached till Kutch.

Who is conducting the research?

• Research on the Saraswati River is being conducted by Kurukshetra University and Haryana Saraswati Heritage Development Board.

Sarasvati River:

• Sarasvati is a deified river mentioned in the Rig Veda as well as in later Vedic and post-Vedic texts. The river played a significant role in Vedic religion. It is considered as a great and holy river in north-western India. It originated from Kapal Tirith in the Himalayas, flowed towards Mansarovar and then turned towards the west. It used to flow through Haryana, Rajasthan and North Gujarat. It also flowed through Pakistan and finally met the Western Sea through the Rann of Kutch. 
• The river was approximately 4,000 km in length.

By: Atul Dhimann