Saraswati river revival mission gains momentum: Rajasthan forms committee, Uttarakhand-Himachal link under study

AMBALA: The multi-state mission to revive the ancient Saraswati River, led by Haryana Sarasvati Heritage Development Board (HSHDB), is making steady progress. After successful implementation in Haryana and efforts in Himachal Pradesh (HP) and Uttarakhand, the Rajasthan government has now joined the cause. With support from the HSHDB, the Rajasthan government formed a dedicated advisory panel last month, on June 18. The committee includes representatives from key institutions, including Isro and the state's Water Resources Department.

This initiative gained traction after a meeting in Jaipur at Isro's Birla Institute on April 28, this year, where HSHDB vice chairman Dhuman Singh Kirmach met with Rajasthan's irrigation minister Suresh Rawat, officials from the water resources department, and scientists from Isro. The HSHDB proposed collaborative work to reintroduce water flow to parts of Rajasthan through the ancient Saraswati system. Acting on the proposal, Rajasthan has committed to working in tandem with the HSHDB.

Meanwhile, the HSHDB has intensified its efforts in Uttarakhand and HP. It has begun comprehensive geo-archaeological and hydrological studies of the Tons River, a major glacier-fed stream originating from the Bandarpunch Glacier near Uttarakhand's Dehradun. Historical and scientific evidence suggests that the Tons River may have been a key tributary of the mythical Saraswati River described in the Rigveda.

Kirmach recently visited the Dakpathar Barrage near Dehradun, where the Tons merge with the Yamuna. Data is being collected from revenue records and scientific surveys, including inputs from geologists, hydrologists, and paleo-channel researchers. The Geological Survey of India (GSI) and other institutes have also expressed interest in this study, particularly the suggestion that the Tons river may have originally flowed westward into the ancient Saraswati system before tectonic shifts diverted it toward the Yamuna.

Kirmach claimed that according to multidisciplinary research—including satellite imagery, geomorphological studies, and ancient texts—the Tons River, along with glacier-fed streams like Pabar, Rupin, and Supin, were once integral parts of the Saraswati system. He further added that archaeological and hydrological data point toward a scenario in which rivers such as the Yamuna and Sutlej were part of the Saraswati system until 10,000–16,000 years ago.

The HSHDB has already demonstrated success in Haryana, where water has been channelled through a 400-kilometer stretch—from Adi Badri at the Himachal border to the Ottu Headworks near the Rajasthan border—by connecting seasonal rivers during the monsoon. The goal is to expand this revival from the glacier source in Uttarakhand through HP, Haryana, Rajasthan, and finally to the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat.

As part of ongoing efforts, Kirmach also held discussions with researchers at the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology in Dehradun, whose initial assessments align with the theory that the Tons was historically part of the Saraswati drainage system. Satellite imagery and paleo-drainage maps have revealed ancient channels similar to the current path of the Tons, further supporting this hypothesis.

Although traditionally identified with the dry Ghaggar-Hakra riverbed in Punjab and Haryana, the revival mission now seeks to piece together the larger Saraswati system using glacial sources and satellite data. The involvement of agencies like GSI, Isro, and state governments marks a significant shift from myth to actionable hydrological and archaeological reconstruction.

This project, led by HSHDB and strongly supported by Haryana CM Nayab Saini, could redefine regional river networks and revive a river revered in Vedic scriptures as the life-giving Saraswati. CM Nayab Saini also wrote a letter to Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami on June 3, this year, asking him to appoint a nodal officer for this project and issue directions to concerned departments for information related to Saraswati River and its possible tributaries such as revenue records, cultural activities, temples, fairs, traditions, archaeological and heritage sites related to Saraswati-Sindhu civilisation and other important information.