Ganges

The Ganges, or Ganga, is a major transboundary river of South Asia, sacred in Hinduism and vital to the plains of northern India and Bangladesh. It sustains hundreds of millions through irrigation, water supply, and commerce and forms the core of the Ganges Delta.

Source and course: The conventional source is the Gangotri Glacier in the Indian Himalayas. The river begins as the Bhagirathi and gains the name Ganges after the confluence with the Alaknanda at Devprayag. It flows southeast through Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, passing cities such as Rishikesh, Haridwar, Kanpur, and Varanasi, before entering Bihar and West Bengal. In its lower course it reaches the Ganges Delta, splits into distributaries, and ultimately drains into the Bay of Bengal via the Padma and Meghna systems in Bangladesh. The river is about 2,525 kilometers long, with a basin of roughly 1 million square kilometers.

Significance and use: The Ganges supports agriculture in the Gangetic Plain and provides drinking water and industry for many settlements along its banks. It is deeply embedded in Hindu rituals and temple towns, notably Varanasi and Haridwar.

Environmental status: The river faces pollution, overuse, and ecological change from population growth and industrial discharge. Clean-up and river-management programs include the Ganga Action Plan and Namami Gange, which aim to reduce waste, restore habitat, and improve water quality. As a transboundary river, it is subject to treaties with Bangladesh governing water sharing and flood management.