“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has” 02 MARGARET MEAD MAP WISE

Plastic waste strewn on the banks of Ganga at Patna of Rivers have a cultural, economic and spiritual significance for Indians. The lifeline of civilisations down the ages, rivers have a religious connotation too. But they are in danger. A study says the number of polluted stretches in Indian rivers has increased to 351 in 2019 from 302 two years ago. Act now before it’s too late! Deadly pollution foam choking the Yamuna river

GANGA YAMUNA ➤ Origin: YAMUNOTRI Himachal Pradesh, Uttar GLACIERS (HIMALAYAS) Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi Ganga is the most sacred river in the Hindu re- The name Yamuna is derived from the ➤ ➤ ligion. The river finds mention in numerous an- Sanskrit word ‘yama’, meaning twin 70 per cent of water to Delhi Major tributaries: Hanuman 1 cient texts; she is a mother, goddess, life-giver and 2 – probably because it runs parallel to comes from the Yamuna Ganga, Sharda, Chambal a repository of people’s beliefs. The Ganga ascends the Ganges. At its source in the Himalayas, ➤ Taj Mahal is situated on the ➤ Merges into: Ganga from the Himalayas as a crystal-clear rivulet and grad- its water is crystal-clear. However, once it ually takes the form of a river. However, pollution and streams through Mathura, Agra and Del- banks of this river (It is the longest river in India excessive use transform it into a toxic sludge during hi, it turns into one of the dirtiest rivers ➤ Major cities on its journey: which does not directly flow into its journey through cities and industrial hubs. in the world. Consider this: dissolved oxy- Etawah, Auraiya (UP), the sea) gen (DO) levels — the amount of oxygen dissolved in water — ought to be a mini- Mathura, Delhi ➤ Also known as Jamuna ➤ Origin: GANGOTRI (HIMALAYAS) mum of 4 mg/litre, but 2015 onwards, there ➤ States covered: Uttarakhand, ➤ Length: 2,525 km ➤ Depth: 17 m (56 ft) is nearly no DO in any stretch of the Ya- muna downstream, even in September ➤ Third largest river in the world (post-monsoon). ➤ Major cities on its journey: Kashi, Prayagraj, Kolkata, Badrinath, Haridwar, Kanpur, Patna, INDUS Farrukhabad, Fatehgarh, Kannauj, Chakeri ➤ According to a report, more than From its source in the northwestern foothills of the Ind ➤ It also creates the world’s largest delta in West us Himalayas, it flows through the Indian state of Jam- 38,000 million litres of waste water enter Bengal — Sundarbans 3 mu & Kashmir and along the length of Pakistan to Jhelum ➤ Major tributaries: the Arabian Sea. The name of the river probably came major rivers, water bodies and even from the Sanskrit word sindhu meaning nab Gomti, Ghaghra, Tamsa, he ‘the sea.’ The river is associated with the C percolate into the groundwater every day Yamuna, Koshi Indus is pristine at its source Indus Valley Civilisation. avi ➤ Merges into: Bay of R j Beas Bengal ➤ tlu Origin: TIBETAN PLATEAU Su ➤ Flows through: Ladakh BRAHMAPUTRA ➤ Length: 3,180 km ➤ Major cities on its journey: Y a Brahmaputra literally Leh, Sukur, a G tr m h u (Pakistan) u a Ga ap means, ‘the son of Brah- i na gh nd ahm Lun l G ara ak Br ma’, part of the Brahma, ➤ ba a G i 4 Major tributaries: Balram n o s g o Vishnu, Shiva trinity. Brahma am a m a a K river, Beas, Chenab, Dras, h w ti is also known as Tsangpo (‘pu- C et Gilgit, Jhelum, Ravi, Sutlej ti B rifier’ inTibet). a m ➤ Merges into: Arabian Sea r a H b o ➤ a i Pakistan has a share of 93 h o g r S a K ➤ Origin: ANGSI GLACIER a h a M s l per cent, India, five per cent, ada a y ad arm i (TIBET) B h N B B and China, two per cent of a ra h it m

➤ i a a Shetrunji t M Journeys from: Arunachal A devotee throws flowers and plastic this river p ra n Ta ah n i ana i Pradesh to Assam bags into river Brahmaputra, in Guwahati ➤ Also known as Sindhu di G Penganga ➤ Length: 2,900 km od avari ➤ Major cities on its jour- M Toxic foam being blatantly dumped into an ney: Dibrugarh, the Godavari jira Guwahati B ➤ Another name: Jamuna, K him rishn a Tsangpo (Tibet), Pinyin a or Yarlung Zangbo ra had ab (China) g n ➤ Merges into: Padma u T river, Bangladesh P e nn ar Ca GODAVARI ● The longest uvery Volunteers removing garbage from the flowing river in The Godavari is the sec- Cauvery riverbed in Srirangam, TN V India is the Ganga aig ond longest river in In- ai 5 dia. It is called Ganga followed by of south India. It is one of Godavari, Yamuna, Krishna the main breeding sites of and Narmada. the endangered Olive Rid- ley turtle. ● The longest river — part of which flows through India — ➤ Origin: TRYAMBAKESH- is the Indus. It originates in ● WAR, Tibet, flows through Ladakh and the Prayagraj or Allahabad is believed to be the confluence (sangam) of the DIFFERENT TYPES ➤ Length: 1,465 km Hindukush ranges, enters Pakistan and rivers Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical ➤ Major cities on its journey: Rajahmundry (AP), Nashik (MH), Nanded then flows into the Arabian Sea. Saraswati. (MH), Nizamabad () ● Ganga is also known as Bhagirathi. King OF RIVERS ➤ States covered: Maharashtra, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Bhagirath was responsible for bringing the ● Brahmaputra is known as Yarlung Pradesh, Puducherry river, personified as a goddess, from the Tsangpo in Tibet and Dihang in ndian rivers are classified into four types, according to the ➤ Major dams on river: , Sriram Sagar dam heavens to earth. When the Ganga flows Arunachal Pradesh. It is known as land forms over which they flow. So there is a Himalayan river, ➤ Jomuna in Bangladesh. Merges into: Bay of Bengal into Bangladesh it is known as Padma. I Peninsular river, Coastal river and an Inland drainage basin. KRISHNA CAUVERY MAHANADI HIMALAYAN RIVER: This type of river flows perennially from the higher ranges of the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal or Indian It is one of the most extensive rivers in central-south- Also known as Kaveri, the river is cel- The word Mahanadi is a compound of the Ocean. Some important Himalayan rivers are Ganga, Brahmaputra, ern India. Since it is fed by seasonal monsoon rains, ebrated for its scenery and sanctity in Sanskrit words maha (“great”) and nadi. Barak, Teesta, Mahananda. Perennial rivers are those that have a 6 the river’s flow undergoes much fluctuation during 7 Tamil literature, and its entire course 8 It is the major river in Chhattisgarh the year, limiting its usefulness for irrigation. is regarded as holy ground. and Odisha. The water is used for irri- continuous flow of water throughout the year except during peri- gation purposes. ods of extreme drought. Non-perennial rivers are those which have ➤ ➤ Origin: (MAHARASHTRA) Origin: TALAKAVERI (WESTERN ➤ Origin: SIHAWA, no water for at least some part of the year. ➤ Length: 1,400 km GHATS, ) CHHATTISGARH ➤ Major towns along the river: Sangali (MH), ➤ Length: 765 km ➤ Length: 858 km PENINSULAR RIVER: These rivers are non-perennial; they flow across Konya (MH), Vijaywada (AP). ➤ Important tributaries: Amravati, ➤ Major cities: the plains of India. Some major peninsular rivers are Godavari, Krishna, ➤ Shimsha, Hemavati Major tributaries: Bhima, , Malaprabha, Cuttak, Mahanadi and Kaveri. Usually these rivers flow from north to south Tungabhadra ➤ Major towns along the river: Sambalpur across the plain and finally meet the Bay of Bengal. ➤ It is a major source of irrigation for Maharashtra, Kushalnagar, Mysuru – northern sub- Karnataka, Telangana and urbs, Srirangapatnam, Karur, COASTAL RIVER: These rivers are also non-perennial. They flow ➤ Dams: , Dhom dam, Tiruchirapalli (TN), Kumbakonam, Narayanpur dam Mayiladuthurai, Poompuhar through the coastal areas of Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. Tapti, ➤ Imp for irrigation canal projects ➤ The delta of this river is one of the most fertile Pennar and Ajay are coastal rivers. Coastal rivers play an impor- regions in India; once home to the ancient ➤ Merges into: Bay of tant role in the agricultural system of India. Satavahana and Ikshvaku Sun Dynasty kings Bengal ➤ is the largest city on River Krishna INLAND DRAINAGE BASIN: Rivers of the inland drainage basin do ➤ Merges into: Bay of Bengal not reach an ocean or sea but empty their waters in a lake or an inland sea. Luni river is an example of a drainage basin which runs across the Rann of Kutch, Gujarat.