Report on reviving Saraswati river to reach Raj govt in 6

The Rajasthan River Basin and Water Resources Planning Authority, tasked with the responsibility of reviving the mythical Saraswati river is likely to submit its report to the state government in six months.
"We would be coordinating with ISRO, Central Ground Water Board, State Ground Water Board, another agency working in the area of arid zone paleo-channels institute and National Institute of Hydrology, to give a report to the government... We will take three to six months to analyse the facts and prepare a detailed report," Sriram Vedire, Chairman, Rajasthan River Basin and Water Resources Planning Authority told reporters here.
The authority was constituted by the Government of Rajasthan to look into various issues connected with river basins including intra-basin river water transfer.

It was primarily given the task of reviving Saraswati river, believed to have existed in ancient times.
Citing evidences of ISRO maps and Central Ground Water Board data, Vedire said that paleo-channels (remnant of an inactive river) exist on the assumed course of Saraswati river.
"The data of Central Ground Water Board and ISRO satellite maps indicate that there are paleo-channels flowing under the ground... However, it has to be further analysed and studied whether these channels are Saraswati river," he said.

Stressing the importance of reviving of paleo-channels, he said that the step can help in recharging water, in a big way.

"In Rajasthan that paleo channel is assumed as Saraswati (river), which we are trying to revive. By reviving that, the ground flows will become natural flows above the ground. So, there will be recharge of surplus flow that comes on the surface from the ground. So, it is a mutual contribution, where the surface water would recharge the ground water and ground flow will come as a natural spring flow."
He mentioned that the paleo-channels are located anywhere between 300 and 600 feet.
Vedire, who is also member of the Task Force on Interlinking of Rivers of the Union Water Resources Ministry, said that the National Watar Development Agency (NWDA) has been asked to conduct water balance studies for Mahanadi and Godavari river basins for updating information on projected water usage and water yield of the rivers.