The BJP governments of Himachal Pradesh and Haryana on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to build a dam in the Adi Badri area of Yamunanagar district as a Part of the 215.35 rupee project. The chief secretaries of Himachal Pradesh and Haryana in the presence of Panchkula chief ministers Jai Ram Thakur and Manohar Lal Khattar.
In his speech, Thakur said that with the signing of the MoU, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream of reviving Saraswati will be realized. Modi made the pledge while speaking at a rally in Kurukshetra on April 3, 2014. Thakur said the project would be of great use to Himachal Pradesh as 3.92 hectares of water per year would be earmarked for the drinking water needs of the Shan state and 57.96 hectares for irrigation.
He said that the entire funding for the project will be borne by the Haryana government. Both state governments are free to use their own resources to set up tourism projects and infrastructure for the welfare and development of the local people. The chief minister of Himachal Pradesh said only 21 families in the state who will be displaced by the project will recover. According to Himachal Pradesh policy, the cost of rehabilitating the deportees and the environmental protection package will also be borne by the Haryana government. He said the proposed total area in Himachal Pradesh is 31.16 hectares comprising 0.67 hectares of private land and 30.49 hectares of forest land.
The dam will draw 224 hectares of water from the Somme River in Himachal Pradesh, which falls into the Yamuna River near Adibadri in the Yamuna Nagar district. The Himachal Pradesh Power Company Limited will be the implementing agency for the construction of the Adi Badri Dam and its associated infrastructure.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that with the construction of the dam, the Saraswati River will flow at 20 cubic feet of water year-round. He said that the course of the Ghaggar River was said to be the course of the Saraswati River. Apart from replenishing groundwater, the project will also help boost tourism in the area, he said.
The Adi Badri Dam Construction Supervision Committee has been established to plan, supervise and supervise the works. The committee includes additional chief secretary, Irrigation, Haryana, secretary, Jal Shakti Vibhag, chief engineer of Himachal Pradesh and two states.
Complete News Source : Hindustan Times
