Varanasi11 hours agoAuthor: Chandan Pandey
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The life-giving river Ganga is continuously shrinking. Due to dams built for hydro projects in Uttarakhand and more heat this year, less water has been released in the Ganga canal in Haridwar. As a result, for the first time in May itself, sand dunes have emerged in the middle of the Ganges river near the front ghat of Kashi, while these dunes were visible in the middle of the river in June. These days the fishermen sitting on the raised dunes in the middle of the river Ganges can be seen fishing.
This is happening due to the amount of water and less flow of the river. About five kilometer long bypass channel from Ramnagar to Rajghat in Kashi is also obstructing the flow of Ganga. Professor BD Tripathi, president of Mahamana Malviya Ganga Research Center of Kashi University, says that the quantity of water in the Ganges has decreased rapidly.
Due to this the flow of current has become weak. Siltation increases rapidly when the water current is weak. This is the reason why sand dunes and sand islands are visible in the middle of the river.
Dilution capacity of Ganga reduced
The sand of the Ganges is getting deposited towards the eastern banks instead of the west. Due to less water, the dilution capacity of Ganga decreased. This will increase the level of pollution in the river. Pro. Tripathi says that pollution has already been a serious challenge for the Ganga. Before making Ganga pollution free, it has become necessary to save it.
Ganga will remain only then it will become pollution free. This time in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, 11 thousand cusecs of water has been released in the Ganges canal due to excessive heat. The total capacity of Ganga canal is 12 thousand cusecs.
Diverting water is reducing the flow in the plains
Even in the dams present in the upper areas of Uttarakhand, water is reserved for a few days in the reservoirs made for hydropower. However, Senior Geologist Prof. SP Sati says that due to the high melting rate of glaciers due to heat, there is plenty of water in the Ganges.
4 reasons why such situations
- The supply for irrigation through lift canals from both sides of the basin weakens the flow of the river.
- The water withheld in the hydro project in Uttarakhand reduces the amount of water in the Ganges in the plains.
- Ground water is also being exploited indiscriminately. Due to this water goes away in the groundwater recharge process.
- After Haridwar, its main stream water is being supplied to other states through many canals.
4 ways to improve the situation
- No new dam should be built on Ganga now. Due to this there will not be any further reduction in the flow of Ganga.
- The states which are getting the water of Ganga should be made self-sufficient.
- More wastage of water in flood irrigation system, micro irrigation system should be implemented more and more.
- The technology of ground water recharge system will have to be spread more by stopping the rain water.
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