Tracing the Ganga’s intricate waterweb
[ad_1]
Originating in the Himalayas, Ganga’s tributaries intersect, stream into each other or meander away passing by way of a number of cities from 5 States.
Originating from Vasudhara Tal, maybe the largest glacial lake in Uttarakhand, the Dhauli Ganga flows in a meandering course, which takes it by way of the Nanda Devi National Park.
Known for its spectacularly lovely route and white water rafting, the river changed into a deathly torrent on Sunday after part of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off and collapsed into it.
Dhauli Ganga, which merges with Alaknanda, is one among the a number of tributaries of the Ganga, as the holy river flows down from the Himalayas and snakes its means by way of the plains. The tributaries intersect, stream into each other or meander away passing by way of a number of cities from 5 States.
In Uttarakhand, the Ganga and its tributaries cross by way of vital vacationer locations like Rishikesh, Hardiwar, Rudraprayag and Karnaprayag. Sunday’s collapse of the glacier led to rippling flash floods in the Dhauli Ganga and the Rishi Ganga and likewise impacted the Alaknanda.
This additionally introduced highlight on the 2013 flash floods in the hill States that worn out settlements and killed over 5,000 folks. Dhauli Ganga is joined by Rishi Ganga river at Raini the place the catastrophe at the energy challenge dam passed off.
The river takes a V flip and continues to stream in the other way, towards north, as Dhauli Ganga for one more 30-odd kilometres, by way of Tapovan, till it’s joined by Alaknanda river at Vishnuprayag close to Joshimath.
There it loses its id and Alaknanda flows southwest — by way of Chamoli, Maithana, Nandaprayag, Karnaprayag till it meets the Mandakini river, coming from the north at Rudraprayag.
After subsuming Mandakini, the Alaknanda carries on previous Srinagar, earlier than becoming a member of the Ganges at Devprayag close to Kedarnath. Alaknanda then disappears and the mighty Ganges carries on its pan-India journey, first flowing south then west by way of vital pilgrimage centres resembling Rishikesh and at last descending into the Indo-Gangetic plains at Haridwar.
Still on a southern course, the Ganges goes previous Bijnor when it loops again on an easterly course towards Kanpur.
Yamuna, Ramganga and Ghaghara are different Himalayan rivers that be a part of the Ganga.
Dhauli Ganga is one among the vital tributaries of Alaknanda, the different being the Nandakini, Pindar, Mandakini and Bhagirathi.
The Himalayan rivers cross by way of environmentally fragile areas. However, like different Himalayan rivers, the Dhauli Ganga too has been dammed. Dhauli Ganga additionally has an influence station of the National Hydropower Corporation Ltd of 280 MW at Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand.
According to South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People, a suppose tank, below development HEPs threaten about 50% of the Dhauli Ganga’s size.
