Explain about Ganga river system
Answers
The Ganga river system consists of the master river Ganga and a large number of its tributaries. This system drains a very large area comprising the middle part of the Himalayas in the north, the northern part of the Indian Plateau in the south and the Ganga Plain in-between. The total area of the Ganga basin in India is 861,404 sq km which accounts for 26.3 per cent of the geographical area of the country.
The Ganga System:
The Ganga acquires its name after its two head streams—the Alaknanda and the Bhagirathi join at Devprayag. The Ganga enters the plains from the Himalayas at Haridwar. It is joined by a large number of tributaries from the north. Among them the Ghaghara, the Gandak, and the Kosi enter the northern plains of India from Nepal. They are the rivers, which flood parts of the northern plains every year, causing widespread damage to life, whereas, they enrich the soil for agricultural use. These rivers have tremendous potential to generate waterpower and to irrigate lands both in Nepal and India. By mutual trust and cooperation, the sharing of river water for developmental purposes can used in prosperity to the people of both the countries. The main tributaries, which come from the peninsular uplands, are the Chambal, the Betwa and the son.
The length of the Ganga is over 2,500 km. In India, it has the largest basin. The Ganga river system drains most of north India.