2. Introduction
The Ganges is the most sacred river to Hindus. It
is also a lifeline to millions of Indians who live
along its course and depend on it for their daily
needs. It is worshipped as the goddess Ganga in
Hinduism. It has also been important historically,
with many former provincial or imperial capitals.
It is the third largest river by discharge. The
Ganges was ranked as the fifth most polluted river
of the world in 2007.
3. Pollution threatens not only humans, but also
more than 140 fish species, 90 amphibian species
and the endangered Ganges river dolphin. The
Ganga Action Plan, an environmental initiative to
clean up the river, has been a major failure thus
far, due to corruption, lack of technical expertise,
poor environmental planning, and lack of support
from religious authorities.
4. Origin
The Ganges rises in the southern Himalayas on the Indian side of
the border with the Tibet Autonomous region of China. Its five
headstreams—the Bhagirathi, Alaknanda, Mandakini,
Dhauliganga, and Pindar—all rise in the northern mountainous
region of Uttarakhand state. Of these, the two main headstreams
are the Alaknanda (the longer of the two), which rises about 30
miles (50 km) north of the Himalayan peak of Nanda Devi, and
the Bhagirathi, which originates about 10,000 feet (3,000 metres)
above sea level in a subglacial meltwater cave at the base of the
Himalayan glacier known as Gangotri.
5. Gangotri itself is a sacred place for Hindu
pilgrimage. The true source of the Ganges,
however, is considered to be at Gaumukh, about
13 miles (21 km) southeast of Gangotri. The
Alaknanda and Bhagirathi unite at Devaprayag to
form the main stream known as the Ganga, which
cuts through the Outer (southern) Himalayas to
emerge from the mountains at Rishikesh.
8. It is snow fed river (gangotri glacier).
It is a perennial river.
Total Length of the river Ganga is 1,569 miles
(2,525 km).
The Ganga River Basin covers over 12,500 sq.
kilometers
9. Volume of the water in the river Ganga is
2,000,000,000,000,000 cubic feet
Speed of the river Ganga is about 40-50km/hr
11. Formation of ganga
The Ganga basin, an important constituent of the
Himalayan foreland, formed as a consequence of the
India-Asia collision around 55 million years ago
resulting in the formation of the Himalaya. This
provided a large continental mass which together with
large rainfall in the catchment area and long term
erosion generated /enlarged the river valleys of the
Ganga
12. It is established that the Ganga once has
flowed longitudinally behind the Himalaya.
Southward thrusting and massive frontal
erosion of the Himalaya caused progressive
truncation of the longitudinal courses of these
rivers.
13. Ganga passes through the following
places…….
Ganga starts from Gangothri in some northern
part of Himachal Pradesh, as Banghirathi and
Alakananda, crosses Uttarkhand, Uttar Pradesh as
Ganga, Joins Yamuna in Allahabad, and flows
through Bangladesh as Padma, rejoins the main
river, passes Bihar some part of Jharkand and
finally reaches the sea in Bengal.
14. Economic benifits
Use of the Ganges water for irrigation, either when the river
is in flood or by means of gravity canals, has been common
since ancient times. Such irrigation is described in
scriptures and mythological books written more than 2,000
years ago. Megasthenes, a Greek ambassador who was in
India, recorded the use of irrigation in the 4th century bce.
Irrigation was highly developed during the period of
Muslim rule from the 12th century onward, and the Mughal
kings later constructed several canals. The canal system
was further extended by the British.
15. The cultivated area of the Ganges valley in Uttar
Pradesh and Bihar benefits from a system of
irrigation canals that has increased the
production of such cash crops as sugarcane,
cotton, and oilseeds. The older canals are mainly
in the Ganges-Yamuna Doab (doab meaning
“land between two rivers”). The Upper Ganga
Canal and its branches have a combined length
of 5,950 miles (9,575 km); it begins at Hardiwar.
16. The Lower Ganga Canal, extending 5,120 miles
(8,240 km) with its branches, begins at Naraura.
The Sarda Canal irrigates land near Ayodhya, in
Uttar Pradesh. Higher lands at the northern edge of
the plain are difficult to irrigate by canal, and
groundwater must be pumped to the surface. Large
areas in Uttar Pradesh and in Bihar are also
irrigated by channels running from hand-dug
wells.
17. The Ganges-Kabadak scheme in Bangladesh,
largely an irrigation plan, covers parts of the
districts of Khulna, Jessore, and Kushtia that lie
within the part of the delta where silt and
overgrowth choke the slowly flowing rivers. The
system of irrigation is based on both gravity
canals and electrically powered lifting devices.
18. Flora and Fauna
Large wild animals are few, except for deer, boars, and
wildcats and some wolves, jackals, and foxes. Only in
the Sundarbans area of the delta are some Bengal
tigers, crocodiles, and marsh deer still found. Fish
abound in all the rivers, especially in the delta area,
where they form an important part of the inhabitants’
diet.
19. Many varieties of birds are found, such as mynah
birds, parrots, crows, kites, partridges, and fowls. In
winter, ducks and snipes migrate south across the
high Himalayas, settling in large numbers in water-
covered areas. In the Bengal area common fish
include featherbacks (Notopteridae family), barbs
(Cyprinidae), walking catfish, gouramis
(Anabantidae), and milkfish (Chanidae).
20. Tourism
Tourism is another related activity. Three towns holy to
Hinduism – Haridwar, Prayag (Allahabad), and
Varanasi – attract thousands of pilgrims to its waters to
take a dip in the Ganges, which is believed to cleanse
oneself of sins and help attain salvation. The rapids of the
Ganges also are popular for river rafting, attracting
hundreds of adventure seekers in the summer months.
Also, several cities such as Kolkata and Patna have
developed riverfront walkways along the banks of the
river to attract tourists.
