Tag: Ganga River

The Ganges , also Ganga is a trans-boundary river of Asia which flows through the nations of India and Bangladesh. The 2,525 km river rises in the western Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and flows south and east through the Gangetic Plain of North India into Bangladesh, where it empties into the Bay of Bengal.It is the third largest river in the world by discharge. The Ganges is the most sacred river to Hindus. It is also a lifeline to millions of Indians who live along its course and depend on it for their daily needs. It is worshipped as the goddess Ganga in Hinduism.It has also been important historically, with many former provincial or imperial capitals located on its banks. The Ganges was ranked as the fifth most polluted river in the world in 2007.Pollution threatens not only humans but also more than 140 fish species, 90 amphibian species and the endangered Ganges river dolphin. The Ganga Action Plan, an environmental initiative to clean up the river, has been a major failure thus far, due to corruption, lack of technical expertise, poor environmental planning, and lack of support from religious authorities.