Abstract:
Rapidly increasing population, rising standards of living and exponential growth of industrialization and urbanization have exposed water resources, in general, and rivers, in particular, to various forms of degradation. The mighty Ganga is no exception. The river Ganga has been a cradle of human civilization since time immemorial and occupies a unique position in the ethos of people of India. It is the most sacred as well as one of the most exploited rivers of India. The river Ganga has significant economic, environmental and cultural value in India. Emotional attachment to the river and the centers of pilgrimage on its banks runs deep and long in the Indian History. It emerges from Gangotri Glacier in Uttarakhand and is commonly called as Bhagirathi in the stretch Gangotri to Devprayag and Hubli in the stretch Farakka to Ganga Sagar. Ganga is a trans-international river, traversing through four countries, namely India, Nepal, Tibet (China), and Bangladesh. The major part of the geographical area of the Ganga basin lies in India. Rising in the Himalayas and emptying into the Bay of Bengal, it drains a quarter of the territory of India. The Ganga basin extends over an area of 1,086,000 km2. It lies between east longitudes 73º30' to 89º0' and north latitudes 22º30' to 31º30'. The total length of the Ganga River is 2,525 km. and its basin accounts for 26% of India’s landmass, 30% of its water resources and more than 40% of its population.
