SHIMLA : Himachal Pradesh and Haryana on January 21 signed an MoU for construction of Rs 215.35 crore Adi Badri dam in Yamuna Nagar district of Haryana at Panchkula today. The dam executed by HP Power corporation Ltd aims at reviving the legendary Sarasvati river that will boost tourism and provide water to the area.
Chief Secretaries- Ram Subhag Singh(Himachal) and Sanjiv Kaushal(Haryana)- signed the MoU on behalf of both the states in the presence of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and his Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar at Panchkula today.
Addressing this historic event, Jai Ram Thakur said with the signing of this MoU, the dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be fulfilled who had shown his commitment to revive the Saraswati river while addressing the people on April 3, 2014 at Kurukshetra. Himachal will get 3.92 hectare metre water per annum for drinking water requirement and 57.96 hectare metre for irrigation water demand of the project- affected people of the Badri area.
He said the dam will be used for revival of Saraswati river and help water conservation in the region. Project would be funded by the Haryana government. Both governments will be free to prepare the Tourism and other projects for locals from their own resources, without compromising on primary objectives of the project, he said.
Chief Minister said that only 21 families of the state would be displaced. They would be properly rehabilitated and the cost of rehabilitation package for oustees and environmental protection package in accordance with prevalent policies of Himachal Pradesh. Any additional cost of Badri Dam in future would be borne by Haryana and no liability on this account would be passed on to Himachal Pradesh, he said.
Jai Ram Thakur said on completion of this Project, river Saraswati would again come alive. Out of the total proposed area, 31.16 hectare land falls in Himachal which include 0.67 hectare private land and 30.49 hectare forest land. Dam would get 224 hectare metre water from Himachal's Somb river that falls in Yamuna near Adi Badri in Yamunanagar district. HPPCL would be executing agency for construction of Adi Badri Dam and its related infrastructure, he added.
Chief Minister Haryana Manohar Lal Khattar said that Saraswati River alongwith Ganga and Yamuna are most holy rivers of the country. The construction of this Dam, Saraswati river will flow throughout the year with 20 cusecs water all the time. The course of Ghaggar river is said to be the course of Saraswati river, he claimed.
He said this Project will go a long way in promotion of tourism activities in the area with the joint efforts of both Governments. It will promote tourism and recharge ground water, he added.
Khattar said that Adi Badri Dam Construction Monitoring Committee has been constituted for planning, supervising and monitoring of Adi Badri Dam works which comprise of Additional Chief Secretary Irrigation Haryana, Secretary Jal Shakti Vibhag Himachal Pradesh, Engineer-in-Chiefs and other representative of both States.
