On the occasion of signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) related to the construction of Adi Badri Dam in Panchkula in the presence of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, Manoharlal said, “With the revival of Saraswati river, the religious sentiments associated with it will also get a new life. The area related to this will also be developed as a pilgrimage site. Not only this, the lake to be built next to the dam will give a boost to tourism in the area.
Haryana Chief Minister said that the objective of this project is to revive the Saraswati river as well as to increase the level of ground water. He said that the construction of the dam would also help in dealing with the flood situation arising out of excessive rainfall during the rainy season.
Haryana Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal and Himachal Pradesh Chief Secretary Ram Subhag Singh signed MoUs related to the construction of Adi Badri Dam on behalf of their respective states.
It is known that Adi Badri, located near the Haryana-Himachal border, is considered to be the origin of the mythical Saraswati river.
On this occasion, Manohar Lal said, ‘My 35 year old dream has come true. In 1986-87, I visited the area in connection with research related to the revival of the Saraswati river. This tour started from Adi Badri in Yamunanagar and ended at Kutch. With the construction of Adi Badri dam, there will be a flow of water in Saraswati river throughout the year.
Kurukshetra University and Haryana Saswati Heritage Development Board are carrying out research on this mythical river.
Manohar Lal informed that Adi Badri Dam will be built on 31.66 hectares of land in Himachal Pradesh. Rs 215.33 will be spent on its construction.
He said that Adi Badri dam would save 224.58 hectare meter of water, out of which 61.88 hectare meter would go to Himachal Pradesh, while the rest would flow into Saraswati river in Haryana.
According to Manohar Lal, the depth of the Adi Badri dam will be 101.06 meters, while the height will be 20.5 meters. This dam will also get water from the Somb River, which is close to the Yamuna.
On the other hand, Jai Ram Thakur said that the Adi Badri dam would meet the drinking water and irrigation needs of both the states. He expressed hope that due to the revival of Saraswati river, this area will also be developed as a pilgrimage site. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also expressed his desire to revive the Saraswati river.
Thakur assured that the people whose land would be acquired for the construction of the dam would get proper compensation. He said that the foundation stone of the dam would be laid after the completion of the formalities related to the project.
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