JAIPUR: Following India's suspension of the Indus Water Treaty after the Pahalgam incident, water from the Sindhu, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej rivers, currently flowing into Pakistan, may soon be redirected to benefit northern states like Rajasthan, Haryana, and Punjab.
As part of this plan, efforts to revive the long-extinct Saraswati River in Rajasthan will also be expedited.
In a significant development, Rajasthan and Haryana officials met scientists in Jaipur on Monday to discuss reviving the Saraswati river. A team from Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Government of Denmark will map the river's ancient paleo channel to trace and restore its original flow.
Once the flow route is identified, encroachments and other obstructions along the riverbed will be cleared. The Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI), Jodhpur, and IIT-BHU have also agreed to support the initiative.
The meeting, held at the Birla Institute of Scientific Research in Jaipur, was organised by the Haryana Saraswati Heritage Development Board. Rajasthan Water Resources Minister Suresh Singh Rawat and HSHDB Vice President Dhuman Singh led detailed discussions on the project's roadmap.
It was decided that Rajasthan would set up a dedicated social cell to create awareness and accelerate progress on the revival efforts. Speaking on the occasion, HSHDB vice-chairman Dhuman Singh said, “The Saraswati river will become a lifeline for both Haryana and Rajasthan. Together, we will trace its flow and work towards its revival.”
Minister Rawat emphasised Rajasthan's proactive stance on inter-state water issues. “The state government has already taken the initiative to revive the Saraswati river. Representatives from the Danish Embassy have requested the involvement of both Central and State Ground Water Departments to strengthen this important collaboration,” he said.
Notably, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Water Resources Department and the Danish Embassy during the Rajasthan Investment Summit held a few months ago. Denmark has pledged its support for the scientific revival of Saraswati’s paleo channels and has called for deeper involvement of relevant groundwater authorities.