Ganga

                       The Ganga System

The Ganga is the most important river of India both from the point of view of its basin and
cultural significance. It rises in the Gangotri glacier near Gaumukh (3,900 m) in the
Uttarkashi district of Uttaranchal. Here, it is known as the Bhagirathi. It cuts through the
Central and the Lesser Himalayas in narrow gorges. At Devprayag, the Bhagirathi meets
the Alaknanda; hereafter, it is known as theGanga.
The Alaknanda has its source in the Satopanth glacier above Badrinath. The Alaknanda consists of the Dhauli and the Vishnu Ganga which meet at Joshimath or Vishnu Prayag. The other tributaries of
Alaknanda such as the Pindar join it at Karna Prayag while Mandakini or Kali Ganga meets
it at Rudra Prayag. The Ganga enters the plains at Haridwar. From here, it flows first to
the south, then to the south-east and east before splitting into two distributaries, namely
the Bhagirathi and the Hugli. The river has a length of 2,525 km. It is shared by
Uttaranchal (110 km) and Uttar Pradesh (1,450 km), Bihar (445 km) and West Bengal
(520 km). The Ganga basin covers about 8.6 lakh sq. km area in India alone. The Ganga
river system is the largest in India having a number of perennial and non-perennial rivers
originating in the Himalayas in the north and the Peninsula in the south, respectively. The
Son is its major right bank tributary. The important left bank tributaries are the
Ramganga, the Gomati, the Ghaghara, the Gandak, the Kosi and the Mahanada. The
river finally discharges itself into the Bay of Bengal near the Sagar Island.
The Yamuna, the western most and the longest tributary of the Ganga, has its source
in the Yamunotri glacier on the western slopes of Banderpunch range (6,316 km). It joins the
Ganga at Prayag (Allahabad). It is joined by the Chambal, the Sind, the Betwa and the Ken
on its right bank which originates from the Peninsular plateau while the Hindan, the Rind,
the Sengar, the Varuna, etc. join it on its left bank. Much of its water feeds the western and
eastern Yamuna and the Agra canals for irrigation purposes.
The Chambal rises near Mhow in the Malwa plateau of Madhya Pradesh and flows
northwards through a gorge up wards of Kota in Rajasthan, where the Gandhisagar dam has
been constructed. From Kota, it traverses down to Bundi, Sawai Madhopur and Dholpur, and
finally joins the Yamuna. The Chambal is famous for its badland topography called the
Chambal ravines.
The Gandak comprises two streams, namely Kaligandak and Trishulganga. It rises
in the Nepal Himalayas between the Dhaulagiri and Mount Everest and drains the central part
of Nepal. It enters the Ganga plain in Champaran district of Bihar and joins the
Ganga at Sonpur near Patna.
 The Ghaghara originates in the glaciers of Mapchachungo. After collecting the waters of its tributaries – Tila, Seti and Beri, it comes out of the mountain, cutting a deep gorge at Shishapani. The river Sarda (Kali or Kali Ganga) joins it in the plain before it finally meets the Ganga at Chhapra.
The Kosi is an antecedent river with its source to the north of Mount Everest in Tibet, where its main stream Arun rises. After crossing the Central Himalayas in Nepal, it is joined by the Son Kosi from the West and the Tamur Kosi from the east. It forms Sapt Kosi after uniting with the river Arun.
The Ramganga is comparatively a small river rising in the Garhwal hills near Gairsain.
It changes its course to the southwest direction after crossing the Shiwalik and enters into the
plains of Uttar Pradesh near Najibabad. Finally, it joins the Ganga near Kannauj.
The Damodar occupies the eastern margins of the Chotanagpur Plateau where it flows
through a rift valley and finally joins the Hugli. The Barakar is its main tributary. Once known
as the ‘sorrow of Bengal’, the Damodar has been now tamed by the Damodar Valley
corporation, a multipurpose project.
The Sarda or Saryu river rises in the Milan glacier in the Nepal Himalayas where it is
known as the Goriganga. Along the Indo-Nepal border, it is called Kali or Chauk, where it joins
the Ghaghara.
The Mahananda is another important tributary of the Ganga rising in the Darjiling
hills. It joins the Ganga as its last left bank tributary in West Bengal.
The Son is a large south bank tributary of the Ganga, originating in the Amarkantak
plateau. After forming a series of waterfalls at the edge of the plateau, it reaches Arrah, west
of Patna, to join the Ganga.