River Saraswati: Beyond Myth and Reality But Possibly Still Worth Saving

River Saraswati: Beyond Myth and Reality But Possibly Still Worth Saving

River Saraswati now exists in the area between myth and reality but if recent media reports are to be believed, the Indian government has not given up on the river that dried up long ago. Minister for Water Resources and River Development has taken to her portfolio and reiterated that efforts will be made to revive the ancient river.

Minister Uma Bharati has indicated that there is enough scientific evidence to suggest the river flowed through northern parts of India around 5000 to 6000 years ago. The government is taking up the cause of the river and she has been quoted by the media as saying that attempts are being made "to trace the route of the river." The aim is to make a bid for the revival of the river.

But the experts are not on the government's side. Professor emeritus of water resource development and hydrology at IIT-Roorkee has indicated that reflooding the area is impossible while hydrology expert Professor Roger Evans of Virgina Tech has been quoted by Reuters as saying that this is equivalent to putting a man on Mars. Considering that there may actually be a man (or an alien?) on moon given recent Google Earth images, maybe the experts need to think in terms of mind over matter-metaphorically of course.

Space imagery from the ISRO has discovered many fossil valleys in upper central Haryana in correspondence to archaeological sites suggesting that ancient settlements along the river banks existed at on point in time. TOI has quoted ISRO findings in their article. English engineer C. F. Oldham has indicated river Saraswati may well be the present day River Ghaggar which is has a river-bed that is too broad for the seasonal river. Tectonic uplifts have been identified as the reason for the way in which the river disappeared.

K. S. Valdiya of the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific research has indicated it is a case of "river piracy". Studies also indicate that the sudden drying up of the river could be attributed to affecting the earth's climate and causing desertification in the area. Yet there are conflicting pieces of evidence as well. Water-table fluctuations and radiocarbon estimates do not support aridity claims according to certain scientific evidence.

The route of the river has been traced by several geological and glaciological studies from the Saraswati-Rupin glacier confluence in the western Garhwal region to the Arabian Sea at the Great Rann of Kutch. The question being raised is whether the government should first concentrate on cleaning India's dirtiest river the Ganga or trying to revive older rivers such as Saraswati. Consensus between experts may remain divided but the government seems to be keen to charge full steam ahead to rescue the ancient river.