Saraswati Board plans to channel Sutlej River water into Saraswati; Collaboration with Haryana Space Center and Central Water Commission underway

AMBALA: The Haryana Sarasvati Heritage Development Board (HSHDB) is preparing a major project to divert water from Himachal Pradesh’s (HP) Sutlej River into the Saraswati River.

In a recent virtual meeting, HSHDB vice-chairman Dhuman Singh Kirmach discussed the project with Sultan Singh, director of Haryana Space Applications Centre (HSAC), and P Dorje Gyamba, deputy director of the Central Water Commission.

Providing details of the meeting, Dhuman Singh said that both officials have extensive experience working with river systems in HP. As per the plan, water from the Sutlej could be channelled through Solan or Bilaspur (both of HP) i.e. via Matr Ki Khol (a tributary to Somb River) from Solan to Nahan or via the Tons River after Shimla to feed the Saraswati River.

Dhuman Singh also mentioned that the waters of the Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej rivers could potentially be distributed into rivers in Haryana, Punjab, and Rajasthan. In Haryana, the Tons River near Nahan, in the Shivalik hills, could also be utilized for this project.

HSHDB is developing a comprehensive plan around Adi Badri (Yamunanagar district), the origin point of the Saraswati River and will soon present the project proposal to Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini.

Notably, at this moment, construction of a dam and a barrage at Adi Badri is progressing rapidly, aimed at ensuring a year-round flow of water in the Saraswati River. HSHDB is also preparing to harness catchment waters from the Shivalik range in HP, especially rivers coming from Bilaspur (HP). Under its persistent efforts, over the past three years, the HSHDB has succeeded in enabling water flow along nearly 400 kilometres of the Saraswati riverbed during the monsoon season, completing the first phase of river rejuvenation.

Dhuman Singh said, “Now, in the next phase, the HSHDB is focused on maintaining a perennial flow in the Saraswati river. The Sutlej water flows from its HP catchment area to Haryana’s Shivalik range. The Board is planning to bring that Sutlej water by making a channel from above Solan to Saraswati River via Somb River. Additionally, a major lake project is already underway across 350 acres near Chhalor village in Bilaspur (Haryana).”

He said under the leadership of CM Saini, the HSHDB has already revived nearby rivers and reopened blocked water channels, and similar efforts are being initiated in HP.

To further the project, Dhuman Singh will participate in a key meeting on April 28 at the Birla Remote Sensing Technology Centre in Jaipur with ISRO and remote sensing officials. HSHDB’s project director Arvind Kaushik, executive engineer (XeN) Navtej Singh, and XeN Bhatt were also present during the virtual meeting to strategize the next steps for the Saraswati River revival project .