Ganga: The Arterial River of India

Ganga alluvial plain is one of the most densely populated regions of the world. It is drained by large snow-fed and small groundwater-fed rivers having different sources of water and sediment. Ganga, the main river of this plain, is formed by the confluence of Bhagirathi River with the Alaknanda River at Devprayag in Uttarakhand Himalaya and after travelling a distance of about 2525 km, drains into Bay of Bengal where it forms a huge Sunderban Delta. It is the most sacred river of India. The important tributaries are Ramganga, Yamuna, Gomati, Ghaghara, Son, Great Gandak, Burhi Gandak and Kosi. It exhibits braid bar, lateral bar, natural levee and various river terraces and is characterized by narrow incised channel confined within very wide valley in direct response to the climate, tectonics and sea level changes. The sediments and water of this river supports the culture and agriculture of the Ganga Plain as it is a perennial source of water. However, from last few decades the interference of man in the natural cycle of the river has polluted the river, increased the sediment load, reduced the natural recharge area, reduced the water holding capacity and floodplain of the river and completely disturbed its biodiversity and thus increased the river-borne hazard by ignoring the law of nature and scientific facts.