DW BUREAU / CHANDIGARH The Haryana government has decided to build a dam over the Yamuna at Hathni Kund in the state's Yamunanagar district. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday approved a preliminary report pertaining to the project. "He first took a review meeting related to the dam, after which he approved to send the preliminary report prepared by the Haryana Irrigation and Water Resources Department to the Central Water Commission," an official statement said here. "During the meeting, the chief minister said that water is an invaluable resource of the earth. Every year, during the rainy season, water is wasted and the Yamuna river area gets flooded. In view of this, the Haryana government has decided to build a dam in Hathni Kund," it said. With its construction, Haryana will not only get electricity but also water supply. The annual power generation capacity of the dam will be 763 million units, said the statement. The chief minister said that as per the requirement of the Central Water Commission, it is necessary to first prepare a preliminary report for obtaining the in-principle consent for preparing a detailed project report. Khattar said with the construction of the dam, ground water recharging will take place in the surrounding area and farmers will benefit from it. "Apart from this, flood situation arises in the area of the Yamuna river every year during the monsoon. This damages the crop. With the construction of the dam, the problem of floods will be solved," he said. The CM said Renuka, Kisau and Lakhwar dams will get the benefit of the construction of this dam. The Hathni Kund dam will balance reservoir function of these three dams, he said. Khattar said the dam will also be made a centre of attraction for tourists. The area where this dam is going to be built is very green and close to nature, and will help attract tourists, he said. Currently, the area is known for the Hathni Kund barrage. (editor@dailyworld.in)