After 25 years, Haryana government rejuvenates Rakshi river

Haryana government’s efforts to rejuvenate dried-up rivers bore fruit with the rejuvenation of the Rakshi river after almost 25 years.

The recuperation of the 32-km-long stretch of the river has brought a smile to thousands of farmers of 50 villages of Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra and Karnal districts as the flow of water will help recharge the groundwater in these villages.

As per officials, the Rakshi river originates from Shahpur village of Yamunanagar district and it gets merged into the Chautang river near Ladwa of Kurukshetra district. Chautang is a seasonal river and it originates from the Shivalik foothills and the Hansi branch of the Western Yamuna Canal is palaeochannel of this river.

Irrigation department officials said the 32-km stretch of this river has been made operational by diverting the waters of the Chetang nullah from the Bubka head in Yamunanagar district.

“This was a long-pending demand of the farmers of this region as this small river will help recharge groundwater in the nearby 50 villages where the groundwater was depleting and several villages are under the dark zone,” said Dhuman Singh Kirmach, deputy chairman, Haryana Saraswati Heritage Development Board.

He said the government has not only fulfilled the demand of the farmers of the Ladwa, Indri and Raduar blocks of three districts by releasing water into the Rakshi river but also it has achieved its commitment to rejuvenate the rivers.

Efforts will be made to ensure that the flow of water in this river could last for at least four to six months and officials of the irrigation department are working on this plan.

“The rejuvenation and flow of water in this river will help farmers as the groundwater has gone below 300 ft and farmers are unable to get new tubewell connection due to restrictions in the dark zone,” said Dharampal, a farmer of Mehra village.

“The Rakshi river used to flow for several months every year and its water was used for drinking and other purposes but with the passage of several years, it got dried up. But it is a good sign that this river is being rejuvenated,” said Prithvi Chand, an elderly farmer from Karnal’s Yunishpur village.