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

The recuperation of the 32-km-long stretch of the river has introduced a smile to hundreds of farmers of fifty villages of Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra and Karnal districts because the stream of water will assist recharge the groundwater in these villages.

As per officers, the Rakshi river originates from Shahpur village of Yamunanagar district and it will get merged into the Chautang river close to Ladwa of Kurukshetra district. Chautang is a seasonal river and it originates from the Shivalik foothills and the Hansi department of the Western Yamuna Canal is palaeochannel of this river.

Irrigation division officers stated the 32-km stretch of this river has been made operational by diverting the waters of the Chetang nullah from the Bubka head in Yamuna 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,” stated Dhuman Singh Kirmach, deputy chairman, Haryana Saraswati Heritage Development Board.

He stated the federal government has not solely fulfilled the demand of the farmers of the Ladwa, Indri and Raduar blocks of three districts by releasing water into the Rakshi river but in addition it has achieved its dedication to rejuvenate the rivers.

Efforts can be made to make sure that the stream of water on this river might final for a minimum of 4 to 6 months and officers of the irrigation division are engaged 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,” stated 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,” stated Prithvi Chand, an aged farmer from Karnal’s Yunishpur village.