The decision to prepare a comprehensive riverfront development plan for Ghaggar river has been taken after the directions from Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to study, identify and integrate catchments of river Ghaggar in Panchkula to suggest flood mitigation and Environment protection. Ghaggar originates from Dagshai village in Himachals Solan district and flows through Haryana, Punjab, and then ends in Rajasthan. The river and its tributaries Markanda and Tangri pass from Kalka, Panchkula, Ambala, among other places in Haryana.
The river swells every year during monsoon and many drowning mishaps have been reported over the past years in the State.
Under the commercial development component, the government is keen to explore feasibility of or boating within the river to encourage tourism, development of urban forest, nature park, landscaping along the banks of river and development of gardens, ponds, etc. for recreation purposes.
For flood mitigation measures for river Ghaggar, collection of various hydraulic parameters like rainfall, runoff, discharge, and preparation and study of hydrological model is proposed.
Apart from this, Options like increasing holding capacity and carrying capacity of river by further deepening of riverbed, creation or development of cascades or holding ponds within Ghaggar river, identification of suitable location and construction methodology for surface or underground holding ponds in the vicinity of river, identification of suitable location and construction methodology for weir or barrages with gates will also be explored.