Where is the Ganges river located in India?
Updated May 25, 2019. The Ganges River, also called Ganga, is a river located in northern India that flows toward the border with Bangladesh (map). It is the longest river in India and flows for around 1,569 miles (2,525 km) from the Himalayan Mountains to the Bay of Bengal.
Why is there so much pollution in the Ganges River?
Pollution of the Ganges is caused by both human and industrial waste due to India’s rapid growth as well as religious events. India currently has a population of over 1 billion people, and 400 million of them live in the Ganges River basin. As a result, much of their waste, including raw sewage, is dumped into the river.
Where is the footbridge across the Ganges River?
Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India: footbridgeFootbridge across the Ganges (Ganga) River near Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India.© jolefantoni/Fotolia. The volume of the Ganges increases markedly as it receives more tributaries and enters a region of heavier rainfall, and it shows a marked seasonal variation in flow.
Who was the first person to live in the Gangetic Plain?
The first people in the region were of the Harappan civilization. They moved into the Ganges River basin from the Indus River basin around the 2nd millennium B.C.E. Later the Gangetic Plain became the center of the Maurya Empire and then the Mughal Empire.
Where did the Ganges river dolphin come from?
The Ganges river dolphin was officially discovered in 1801. Ganges river dolphins once lived in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems of Nepal, India, and Bangladesh. But the species is extinct from most of its early distribution ranges.
How is the Ganges river bad for the environment?
The Ganges is highly polluted. Pollution threatens not only humans, but also more than 140 fish species, 90 amphibian species and the endangered Ganges river dolphin. The Ganges is a major source of global ocean plastic pollution.
Who was the first European to study the Ganges River?
They moved into the Ganges River basin from the Indus River basin around the 2nd millennium B.C.E. Later the Gangetic Plain became the center of the Maurya Empire and then the Mughal Empire. The first European to discuss the Ganges River was Megasthenes in his work Indica.
Why does the Ganges river have so much pollution?
The Ganges suffers from extreme pollution levels, caused by the 400 million people who live close to the river. [123] [124] Sewage from many cities along the river’s course, industrial waste and religious offerings wrapped in non-degradable plastics add large amounts of pollutants to the river as it flows through densely populated areas.
Is the Ganges river safe to swim in?
The Ganges River is a vital resource to Asia, but it faces many threats. Human and industrial pollutants fill the river in some areas, making it unsafe even for swimming.
What kind of fish live in the Ganges River?
Ganges river dolphin, or susu ( Platanista gangetica ). Fish abound in all the rivers, especially in the delta area, where they form an important part of the inhabitants’ diet. In the Bengal area common fish include featherbacks (Notopteridae family), barbs (Cyprinidae), walking catfish, gouramis (Anabantidae), and milkfish (Chanidae).