In its efforts to trace the route of the mythological river Saraswati and rejuvenate it, the Rajasthan government has formulated a detailed project report (DPR) and sought a Rs 70-crore central government funding in this regard.
The DPR, "Study for rejuvenation of Saraswati Palaeochannel network and exploration of ground water resources in North-Western Rajasthan, " entails tracing the existence of the river, its course and shape and also the reason for its extinction.
"The state government has prepared a detailed project report on the tracing of the route and rejuvenation of river Saraswati. The report has already been sent to the Centre," Rajasthan Water Resources Minister Kiran Maheshwari said.
The minister said that the state government has sought a financial assistance to the tune of Rs 70 crore from the Union government for the project, adding, "We will commence work on the project as soon as we receive the funds."
Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharati has already said that there was enough scientific evidence on the presence of river Saraswati in some parts of the country.
As per the DPR, the state ground water department had earlier conducted a collaborative study of Saraswati Palaeochannel under financial assistance from Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission in parts of Jaisalmer district during 1994-2000.
