In last May I happened to pay a visit to the Bhakra Dam. The Dam is well worth a visit. It is a miracle on earth. It is the biggest dam in the world. It is 740 feet in height. It is four times as high as the Qutab Minar at Delhi.

The Bhakra Main Canal is the biggest lined canal of the world. The bricks used in its construction could go round the globe twice or they could build a road from Delhi to New York. It is a multi­purpose project. The Dam is now complete. It stands majestic, towering against the deep blue of the sky. The Gobind Sagar Lake is the biggest man-made lake. It has the capacity of storing 75 lakh cubic feet of water.

With the completion of this project, a new era of economic prosperity and abundance is sure to dawn on Punjab and Rajasthan. The signs of prosperity are already there. Punjab has become the granary of India. It supplies electricity to Delhi, Rajasthan and some parts of U.P. also.

Every village in Punjab is being electrified. Every town is humming with industry. Many new cities and markets are springing up in the new colonies. Millions of units of electricity are being produced for domestic, industrial and agricultural purposes.

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Many cottage industries are developing. This project is rapidly changing the face of Northern India. Vast stretches of arid desert are being converted into smiling fields of corn, cotton and sugar-cane. Mills, factories and big industrial units are rising to the sky. The project is proving a boon to the country.

The waters of the Bhakra Canals are sure to wash away poverty and scarcity from Northern India. They are sure to bring the message of hope and cheer to the poverty-stricken countryside.

I saw at Bhakra the two huge tunnels through which the water of the river was diverted when the dam was under construction. Now these tunnels have been plugged. I also paid a visit to Nangal and saw the tunnel which has been constructed under the river bed to inspect any damage to the dam. It is a feat of engineering skill. The Nangal Hydel Canal is a huge canal. It is as big as a river. The Bhakra Dam is indeed a place of pilgrimage.