Ganges

The Ganges is a massive trans-boundary river in Asia.

It flows through the nations of India and Bangladesh. The river is approximately 2,525 kilometres long.

It is part of a vast hydrological system. This system includes the Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers. Together, they form the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna system. This system is the second-largest river system on Earth by discharge.

The river serves as a vital lifeline for hundreds of millions of people. They depend on its water for many daily needs.

The river begins in the western Himalayas within the Indian state of Uttarakhand.

Its upper phase starts at the confluence of two streams. These are the Alaknanda and the Bhagirathi rivers. They meet in the town of Devprayag.

The Alaknanda is the longer stream. In hydrology, it is considered the source stream. The Bhagirathi is the source stream in Hindu mythology.

The Bhagirathi rises at the Gangotri Glacier at an elevation of 4,356 metres. The Alaknanda is formed by snow melt from high peaks like Nanda Devi.

As the river moves, it passes through several distinct stages. It first flows through a narrow Himalayan valley for about 256.90 kilometres.

It then emerges at Rishikesh and enters the Gangetic Plain at Haridwar. In the plains, the river follows a 900-kilometre arching course. It joins many major tributaries along this path. The Yamuna is a very large tributary. It joins the Ganges at the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj. At this point, the Yamuna contributes about 58.5% of the combined flow. The Ghaghara is the largest tributary by discharge volume.

The geology of this region explains why the river exists. The Indian subcontinent sits on the Indian tectonic plate. Seventy-five million years ago, this plate began drifting northeast. It eventually collided with the Eurasian Plate. This massive collision created the high Himalayan mountain ranges. The movement also created a vast trough south of the mountains. This trough is known as a foredeep or foreland basin. Over time, sediment from rivers filled this trough. This process created the fertile Indo-Gangetic Plain.

The Ganges is also a place of great historical significance. Many former imperial and provincial capitals sit along its banks.

These include cities like Pataliputra, Kashi, and Kolkata. The river has supported large populations for centuries. It remains a deeply sacred site for Hindus. They worship the river as the goddess Ganga.

Large religious gatherings, such as the Kumbh Mela, take place here.

Biodiversity is another important feature of the river. The water is home to about 140 species of fish. There are also 90 species of amphibians. The river supports various reptiles and mammals. Some of these animals are critically endangered. These include the gharial and the South Asian river dolphin.

The river eventually reaches the massive Ganges Delta. This is the world's largest delta, covering about 64,000 square kilometres. It eventually empties into the Bay of Bengal.

However, the river faces serious environmental challenges today. Severe pollution threatens both humans and wildlife. Near Varanasi, bacteria levels are very high.

Fecal coliform bacteria levels are more than 100 times the official limit. The Indian government created the Ganga Action Plan to help. This was an environmental initiative to clean the water. Unfortunately, the plan has been considered a failure. Reasons include poor technical expertise and a lack of government care. It also faced a lack of support from religious authorities.