Wednesday, April 29, 2020
Class 10 - Online Test
Class X / Chapter 1 : Chemical Reactions and Equations
Class X / Chapter 3: Metals and Non-Metals
Class X / Chapter 4: Carbon and its Compounds
Class X / Chapter 5: Periodic Classification of Elements
Class X / Chapter 6: Life Processes Set-1
Class X / Chapter 7: Control and Co ordination
Class X / Chapter 8: How do Organisms reproduce
Class X / Chapter 9: Heredity and Variation
Class X / Chapter 10: Light- Reflection and Refraction Set-1
Class X / Chapter 11: Human Eye and Colourful world
Class X / Chapter 12: Electricity
Class X / Chapter13: Magnetic effect of Electric Current
Class X / Chapter 14: Sources of Energy
Class X / Chapter 15: Our Environment
Class X / Chapter 16: Management of Natural Resources
Friday, April 24, 2020
Take CARE of your Mental Health during COVID-19
“Its not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it.”
– Hans Selye
– Hans Selye
- Regular exercise can help lower stress and anxiety by releasing endorphins and improving your sleep and self-image.
- Certain supplements can reduce stress and anxiety, including ashwagandha, omega-3 fatty acids, green tea and lemon balm.
- Aromatherapy can help lower anxiety and stress. Light a candle or use essential oils to benefit from calming scents.
- High quantities of caffeine can increase stress and anxiety. However, people’s sensitivity to caffeine can vary greatly.
- Keeping a journal can help relieve stress and anxiety, especially if you focus on the positive.
- Find the humor in everyday life, spend time with funny friends or watch a comedy show to help relieve stress.
- Yoga is widely used for stress reduction. It may help lower stress hormone levels and blood pressure.
- Listening to music you like can be a good way to relieve stress.
- Deep breathing activates the relaxation response. Multiple methods can help you learn how to breathe deeply.
Stay Positive and Stay Happy....
Wednesday, April 22, 2020
Happy World Book and Copyright Day!
Books: A Window into the World During COVID-19
Now more than ever, at a time when globally most schools are closed and people are having to limit time spent out of their homes, the power of books can be leveraged to combat isolation, to reinforce ties between people, and to expand our horizons, while stimulating our minds and creativity.
During the month of April and all year round, it is critical to take the time to read on your own or with your children. It is a time to celebrate the importance of reading, foster children's growth as readers, and promote a lifelong love of literature and integration into the world of work.
Celebrating World Book and Copyright Day
Through reading and the celebration of World Book and Copyright Day, we can open ourselves to others despite distance. We can travel thanks to imagination. From April 1st to 23rd, UNESCO is sharing quotes, poems and messages to symbolize the power of books and encourage reading as much as possible. By creating a sense of community through the shared readings and the shared knowledge, readers around the world can connect and mutually help curb loneliness.
In such circumstances, we invite students, teachers, and readers from around the world, as well as the whole book industry and library services, to testify and express their love for reading. We encourage you to share this positive message with others through #StayAtHome and #WorldBookDay.
The more people we can reach, the more people may be helped.
Background
23 April is a symbolic date for world literature. It is on this date in 1616 that Cervantes, Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega all died. It is also the date of birth or death of other prominent authors, such as Maurice Druon, Haldor K.Laxness, Vladimir Nabokov, Josep Pla and Manuel Mejía Vallejo.
It was a natural choice for UNESCO's General Conference, held in Paris in 1995, to pay a world-wide tribute to books and authors on this date, encouraging everyone, and in particular young people, to discover the pleasure of reading and gain a renewed respect for the irreplaceable contributions of those, who have furthered the social and cultural progress of humanity. With this in mind, UNESCO created the World Book and Copyright Day. The Day is celebrated by a growing number of partners and since its launch has shown itself to be a great opportunity for reflection and information on a significant theme.
It is observed by millions of people in over 100 countries, in hundreds of voluntary organizations, schools, public bodies, professional groups and private businesses. In this lengthy period, World Book and Copyright Day has won over a considerable number of people from every continent and all cultural backgrounds to the cause of books and copyright. It has enabled them to discover, make the most of and explore in greater depth a multitude of aspects of the publishing world: books as vectors of values and knowledge, and depositories of the intangible heritage; books as windows onto the diversity of cultures and as tools for dialogue; books as sources of material wealth and copyright-protected works of creative artists. All of these aspects have been the subject of numerous awareness-raising and promotional initiatives that have had a genuine impact. There must nevertheless be no let-up in these efforts.
Since 2000, World Book and Copyright Day has inspired another initiative of professional organizations which receives the assistance of UNESCO and backing from States: World Book Capital City. Each year a city is chosen which undertakes to maintain, through its own initiatives, the impetus of the Day’s celebrations until 23 April of the following year. Almost all the regions of the world, in turn, have already been involved in this process, which thus transforms the celebration of books and copyright into a recurrent activity, extending still further the geographical and cultural influence of books.
Over recent years, the World Day has shown that it can be a potent symbol for the launch of major support operations, in particular in Latin America and Africa.
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
World Earth Day is celebrated globally to draw everyone’s attention to the Earth’s wellbeing and call people to support environmental protection. World Earth Day 2020 will be observed amidst the coronavirus pandemic. However, not all hope is lost.
World Earth Day 2020 also marks the 50th anniversary of the annual event. This year, going out and congregation for spreading awareness would not be possible due to the viral outbreak. But Earthday.org or the official site dedicated to the annual event is asking everyone to flood the world on World Earth Day with “hope, optimism and action”.
History of Earth Day Celebration
The first Earth Day celebrations took place in two thousand colleges and universities, roughly ten thousand primary and secondary schools, and hundreds of communities across the United States. More importantly, it "brought 20 million Americans out into the spring sunshine for peaceful demonstrations in favor of environmental reform." It now is observed in 192 countries, and coordinated by the nonprofit Earth Day Network, chaired by the first Earth Day 1970 organizer Denis Hayes, according to whom Earth Day is now "the largest secular holiday in the world, celebrated by more than a billion people every year." Walt Kelly created an anti-pollution poster featuring his comic strip character Pogo with the quotation "We have met the enemy and he is us" to promote the 1970 Earth Day. Environmental groups have sought to make Earth Day into a day of action to change human behavior and provoke policy changes.
Monday, April 20, 2020
Ganga Quest
Ganga Quest is a competitive knowledge-building platform, an awareness initiative and scientific baseline determination exercise to assess the knowledge gaps and attitude orientation about Ganga and Rivers.
Ganga Quest is a national bilingual (Hindi and English) online quiz on Ganga which is organized jointly by National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), an authority under Government of India which implements ‘Namami Gange’ programme and TREE Craze Foundation (TCF), a not for profit organization committed to Ganga, Rivers, and Environment.
Apart from engaging and creating awareness and knowledge among participants, Ganga Quest initiative aims at analyzing and evaluating the nature of participation and status of awareness among the participants. The targeted objectives are; Knowledge Building, Awareness, Orientation, Knowledge Gap Assessment, and Baseline Determination. Its ultimate aim is to increase the public participation for ‘Namami Gange’ programme and to enhance ownership of children and youth for rivers and Ganga. Anyone above 10 years of age can participate in the quiz!
The 8 themes are :
- Historical and Cultural Significance of Ganga
- Flora and Fauna
- Current Affairs
- Physical geography
- Famous places and personalities
- Governance
- Socio-economic and Livelihood
- Pollution/water treatment technology
Source : https://gangaquest.com/
Pollution/water treatment technology
Introduction
• Being one of the most important ancient rivers in the world, the Ganga serves millions of people including commercial, industrial, and agricultural customers. • Due to exposure to people, lack of flow, livestock, fertilizers, and highly polluted municipal/industrial effluent streams the Ganga River is severely polluted • Pollution from municipal sources include: high levels of organics, BOD, COD, oil and grease, TSS, fecal coliform and low oxygen levels. • Pollution from industrial sources include: BOD, oil and grease, toxic chemicals, metals, very high dissolved solids, and low oxygen levels • The Ganga River attracts attention from all over the world including: many nations, NGO’s, Government of India, citizens of India, and NRI’s. • The Government of India under the leadership of PM Modi has taken a strong initiative to clean up Mother Ganga. Ganga Action Parivar’s Mission • Ganaga Action Parivar (GAP) under the guidance of Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswati, plays a very important role in the mission of cleaning the Ganga. • Gap Mission includes cleaning up the streets, towns, improving sanitation, public education, working with the government, commercial operations, industries, and technology providers. • Biosand filters and flush-free toilets for the general population. • For the purpose of this paper, we will limit our discussion to municipal wastewater treatment and industrial wastewater treatment technologies. Suggested Approach to Cleaning Ganga River (1) • Evaluate and understand the Ganga river pollution problem from all possible angles. • Promote public education and awareness related to municipal and industrial wastewater treatment technologies. • Evaluate and promote cost effective, innovative technologies including pilot demonstration plants for treatment of municipal and industrial wastewater treatment. Suggested Approach to Cleaning Ganga River (2) • Recognize that there are no “quick fix” solutions to the highly complex problems including poorly functioning, inadequate or insufficient municipal and industrial wastewater treatment systems. • Evaluate all technologies that make sense in Indian environment including political climate, and economical realities. • Consider step-by-step approach with “checks and balances” all the way. Build a solid foundation and robust pretreatment technologies to support more advanced technologies. Treatment of Municipal Wastewater Streams (1) • Most of the municipal wastewater treatment plants in India utilize primary and secondary treatment technologies. • Primary treatment technologies are designed for removal of grit, plastic bags, debris, larger particles, oil, and grease. These technologies include either stationary or moving bar screens, skimmers, etc. • Secondary treatment technologies utilize biological treatment processes and include forced or natural aeration, floatation, gravity settlement, and clarification technologies. In some cases PH adjustment is used for optimum efficiency. • Moving BED biofilm reactor (MBBR) technologies are available in India. These technologies are playing a critical role in biological treatment of wastewater streams. • Effluent from secondary treatment process can e further “polished” by use of gravity or pressure filters, carbon filters, and subject to ozone or UV light for disinfection. These technologies are available in India although mostly used in industrial water treatment plants. Treatment of Municipal Wastewater Streams (2) • In the USA, higher efficiency secondary treatment technologies such as BLUE FROG TECHNOLOGY, provide highly satisfactory results. They are simple to use require minimum power, maintenance, no chemicals, and no UV or ozone treatment. Effluent is typically discharged directly in a surface water body. • These technologies achieve us EPA guidelines for surface water bodies (rivers, ponds) or farmland application standards. • Typical performance of BLUE FROG TECHNOLOGY • 30 MG/L BOD • 50 MG/L TSS • 17.4 MG/L Ammonia • Pathogen (E.Coli) <126 MPN • No odor • Advanced treatment, future trends: Membrane Bio reactor (MBR) process that use micro filtration, ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis technologies greatly enhance biological treatment. However, they can be capital intensive projects, will require high operation and maintenance cost, and will require highly skilled operators. Treatment of Municipal Wastewater Streams (3) • In the USA there are high levels of interest to reuse the municipal wastewater treatment plant effluent for irrigation purposes, makeup for cooling towers in power plants, makeup for hydraulic fracking industry, etc. Such wastewater treatment plant effluent streams may be purified further by the end user. • Advanced purification technologies include disinfection, chemical treatment, clarification, lime-soda ash softening, microfiltration, ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, etc. • In the USA the municipal wastewater treatment plant managers and operators are held accountable for plant performance and strict compliance with the applicable environmental regulations. Willful non compliance is not tolerated and is subject to processing in the criminal justice system. • Several smaller communities in the USA consider outsourcing the design, operation, and maintenance of municipal wastewater treatment plants to service providers that specialize in such work. Treatment of Industrial Wastewater Streams (1) • There are all types of industries that contribute to the flow (and pollution) to the Ganga river. These include leather manufacturing, pulp and paper, sugar, etc. Each industry is unique which means each wastewater stream is unique. • Industrial wastewater streams tend to be fairly complicated due to several reasons. • Origin of contamination could be suspended solids, colloidal particles, dissolved organics, oil, grease, dissolved inorganics, metals, and gases. • Hourly, daily, weekly, and seasonal variations in flows as well as chemistry. • The treatment plant must be designed on the worst case scenario changes in manufacturing practices will change in water use, flows, and wastewater composition. Treatment of Industrial Water Streams (2) • There are two typical trends in Indian industrial wastewater treatment projects: (A) Treatment at the industrial plants and (B) common effluent treatment plants (CETP) • Most of the CETP have primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment capabilities. • Typical Performance of CETP effluent in Kanpur area: • COD: 350-400 MG/L, BOD: 20-30 MG/L, TSS: 100 PPM, PH 6.5- 8.5 • NH4: 50 total dissolved solids 8000-10,000 MG/L 80 • CETP are responsible for meeting current effluent standards that have been mandated by the current environmental regulating agencies. • CETP act as NGO’s, work with the contributing industry representatives. CEO’s from each industry are board members of the CETP management team. Treatment of Industrial Water Streams (3) • CETP are ideal for providing a platform for higher level of wastewater treatment. • CETP are typically equipped with water testing analytical laboratories. • CETP play a critical role in Ganga cleaning. Best hope for the future! • Provide central location for treating some of the most polluted wastewater streams from several industries including leather industries, chemical plants, pulp and paper plants, and power plants. • Provide skilled and trained managers, engineers, operators, and maintenance personnel. • Provide better liaison between the industry, the government, and general population. • Provide documentation of plant operation including daily effluent flow and water quality monitoring. • Provide higher level of accountability and transparency. • Provide pilot capability for testing newer technologies. Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) Technologies (1) • There is a lot of discussion in India about ZLD, both for municipal and industrial effluent treatment plants. • Environmental laws are existing in India. What about implementation of such laws? That requires “buy in” from all levels. • Cost of implementing with environmental regulations is substantial, but businesses must understand those costs, be willing to either absorb those costs, or pass it on to their customers. • It is easy to “talk” about ZLD technologies, but on a practical level, very difficult to accomplish on a global scale. • Each wastewater stream will be unique in composition and will require custom-engineered solutions. • Not a good idea to consider “standard design” approach. • Step-wise approach is highly recommended when approaching these technologies. Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) Technologies (2) • Strongly recommended SITE SPECIFIC PILOT STUDIES before committing to specific technologies, particularly pre-treatment. • These are very expensive technologies. Lots of lessons learned. • Even for relatively clean surface water, seawater streams the ZLD technologies have experienced challenges. • For highly polluted industrial wastewaters streams, the challenge will be exponentially higher. • Huge emphasis on working with laboratories, trainers, consulting companies, equipment fabricators and service providers WITH PRIOR ZERO LIQUID DISCHARGE PROJECTS EXPERIENCE • Highly specialized analytical laboratories at plant level, centralized labs, government owned labs for checks and balance. • Strong training program for all disciplines • Qualified consulting firms to develop specifications, evaluate proposals, and qualify suppliers • Adequately trained technicians, engineers, designers, equipment fabricators, service and support network • Remember. India has “Made In India” philosophy- could be a challenge! ZLD Technologies: Challenges (1) • It is absolutely important to have a very thorough understanding of wastewater composition. Example: Full analysis of inorganic, organic, suspended solids, colloidal particles, and microscopic level impurities (down to 0.05 micron particle size) • Any variations in feedwater temperatures, wastewater analysis, flow rates will impact plant performance- must be considered while designing and building such systems. • Designing of pretreatment systems is extremely critical If pretreatment system fails, the ZLD system will fail. • Pretreatment systems typically include robust primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment systems, UF and RO membrane systems. ZLD Technologies: Challenges (2) • Classic ZLD system is designed with ultra filtration (UF) and reverse osmosis (RO) membrane processes in the pretreatment loop. • Ultrafiltration (UF) systems are typically designed for 90% Recovery -10% of the liquid waste stream containing high concentration of suspended solids, organics, etc. • Wastewater RO systems typically will have 50-25% reject stream. • RO reject streams will have high concentration of mostly inorganic salts. • RO reject typically goes through softening process to remove hardness, then to an evaporative system (evaporator, crystallizer, dryer, brine concentrator, solar ponds, etc.) ZLD Technologies: Challenges (3) • Each wastewater evaporative system ahs opportunities and challenges. • Opportunities include recovery and recycle pure water. • Challenges include • Very high capital costs. • Very high energy costs (brine concentrators, crystallizers, dryers), massive structures (brine concentrators, evaporators, crystallizer) • High cost of maintenance • In most cases use of corrosive chemicals for cleaning-further environmental issues • Highly trained operators, maintenance staff ZLD System Costs • Development of accurate cost model for ZLD systems can be challenging due to several factors • Each wastewater composition is different. Even water temperatures have significant impact on the design and cost. • Daily, weekly, monthly, seasonal volumes can change rapidly. • Must consider standby components to allow cleaning and maintenance. • Must allocate space for plant expansion, making changes to the process. • Availability of evaporative ponds, pond liners, etc. • Availability of energy. If waste heat is available, there will be significant reduction in operating cost indoor vs. outdoor installations. • Cost of process components/materials, redundancy for reliable purpose. • Typical capital, installed cost for a 1090 M3/day (200 GPM) wastewater thermal process (evaporator/crystallizer), built to US standards • Can be in the range of $150 million. Typical operating cost can be in the range of 3-7 times RO membrane process (Source electrical power research instituteEPRI) Design/build or Outsource? • Owner operated, design/build/operate model is common in the USA. • For fresh water (ground, surface) treatment plants, many projects are outsourced. • Outsourcing industrial wastewater ZLD systems in India should be considered, to minimize risk to the owner. • Outsourcing contractors must evaluate the risks very carefully, including ever-changing composition of wastewater streams, flows, etc. • Buyers must read “fine print” in the contractual language. Typically there will be plenty of escape clauses to minimize risk to the seller. • Buyers must carefully evaluate sellers’ capabilities and performance history. • Key point is to understand wastewater characteristics and variations. • Owner’s representative– consultant-plays extremely critical role in this process. Be sure to check his qualifications and history of performance! Closing Thoughts (1) • Huge challenges for municipal as well as industrial wastewater treatment plants. • It takes years of experience to build and operate ZLD systems successfully. • Must have infrastructure in place in India– Including highly advanced analytical labs, training program for the designers, engineers, operators and managers, highly knowledgeable process consultants, equipment manufacturers, system integrators, service network, etc. • Accountability and compliance to the environmental laws is critical for both municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plant operators. • ZLD systems must be designed very carefully. Any mistakes will prove to be very costly. • Properly designed pretreatment/UF systems will remove suspended solids, bacteria, pathogens, most organics, but not minerals. Closing Thought (2) • Properly designed UF/RO systems will remove most of impurities including minerals. • Concentrate UF and RO reject streams will require careful disposal plan. • Will require chemicals management. • Very expensive to own and operate. Energy intensive. • ZLD systems with UF/RO/Evaporator/crystallizer will allow recovery and recycling of pure water. • Will require a plan for safe storage/disposal of dry salts. • Dry salts will require careful handling and disposal plan. • Extremely expensive to own and operate. Entergy intensive. • Outsourcing to qualified service companies can be a powerful option However, read the “fine print” of the contract. Hire experienced consultant! • Step-wise approach is highly recommended. • Lots of lessons learned in the water treatment industry, particularly in the USA.
Socio-economic and Livelihood in Ganga Basin
The River Ganges (also referred to as Ganga) is a symbol of faith, hope, culture and sanity, as well as a source of livelihood for millions since time immemorial. She is the centre of social and religious tradition in the Indian sub-continent and particularly sacred in Hinduism. The very special faith and respect for the River Ganges in India are as old as Indian culture itself. These are amply reflected in such ancient Indian scriptures as: Vedas, Puranas, Mahabharata, Ramayana and several others. In fact, respect for Ganga is a part of Indian identity and the very symbol of Indian culture. The history of Ganga in nurturing culture and civilizations is appreciated through fostering native culture in its basin, shifting of the Indus-Sarasvati basin civilization into its fold, and promoting integration of cultures to develop Indian civilization. The Ganges alone drains an area of over a million square kilometers. Its extensive basin accounts for one-fourth of India's water resources and is home to more than 407 million Indians, or some one-third of India's population. The Ganges basin, with its fertile soil, is a significant contributor to the agricultural economies of both India and Bangladesh. The Ganges and its tributaries provide a perennial source of irrigation to a large area, in addition to recharging the groundwater table all along their course. By supporting agriculture, animal husbandry and fisheries, tourism, river-based trade and transport, the river contributes significantly to the livelihood, food and nutritional security of about one-third of Indian and two-thirds of the Bangladeshi population. This article attempts to present a macro view of the Ganges and provide a broader context encompassing its historical, spiritual, cultural and socioeconomic attributes and considerations which often remain untouched in scientific papers.
The River Ganges (also referred to as Ganga) is a symbol of faith, hope, culture and sanity, as well as a source of livelihood for millions since time immemorial. She is the centre of social and religious tradition in the Indian sub-continent and particularly sacred in Hinduism. The very special faith and respect for the River Ganges in India are as old as Indian culture itself. These are amply reflected in such ancient Indian scriptures as: Vedas, Puranas, Mahabharata, Ramayana and several others. In fact, respect for Ganga is a part of Indian identity and the very symbol of Indian culture. The history of Ganga in nurturing culture and civilizations is appreciated through fostering native culture in its basin, shifting of the Indus-Sarasvati basin civilization into its fold, and promoting integration of cultures to develop Indian civilization. The Ganges alone drains an area of over a million square kilometers. Its extensive basin accounts for one-fourth of India's water resources and is home to more than 407 million Indians, or some one-third of India's population. The Ganges basin, with its fertile soil, is a significant contributor to the agricultural economies of both India and Bangladesh. The Ganges and its tributaries provide a perennial source of irrigation to a large area, in addition to recharging the groundwater table all along their course. By supporting agriculture, animal husbandry and fisheries, tourism, river-based trade and transport, the river contributes significantly to the livelihood, food and nutritional security of about one-third of Indian and two-thirds of the Bangladeshi population. This article attempts to present a macro view of the Ganges and provide a broader context encompassing its historical, spiritual, cultural and socioeconomic attributes and considerations which often remain untouched in scientific papers.
Flora and Fauna found in Ganga
Flora
The plants that grow along the banks of Ganga and her tributaries play an important role in the diverse ecosystems the river supports. Not only do the plants rely on the Ganga for water, but they also play an important role in nutrient and water conservation, and their presence controls soil erosion along the banks.
The entire upper plains of the Gangetic basin, including the area between the Ganga and the Yamuna rivers, used to be covered with tropical moist deciduous forest made up of sal trees and other species. Unfortunately, most of this forest has now been deforested and heavily cultivated.1 These thick sal forests can still be seen further upstream, such as the area surrounding Rishikesh.
Flowers in the Upper Ganga region
As one moves further north towards the source of Ganga at Gaumukh glacier, the ecosystem consists of chirpine deodar, fir, spruce, oak, juniper and rhododendron.2 In the lower plains of the Gangetic basin, cotton trees (Bombax ceiba), white siris (albizia procera), duabanga grandiflora, and sterculia villosa exist, among many others.3
Sundarbans
The Sundarbans is the largest estuarine forest in the world, covering 9,630 kilometers (5,816 miles) and consisting of fifty-four islands divided by criss-crossing, innumerable tributaries of Ganga. This rich forest-swampland is covered by mangrove forests and mud flats, as well as Genwa, Dhundal, Passur, Garjan, Kankra and Goran trees, as well as other species of plants.4
Banyan Tree
The entire stretch of Ganga is rich in flora and fauna, and her sensitive ecosystem must be protected. Hundreds of millions of humans and even more plants and animals depend on her waters for life. A pristine and free-flowing Ganga must be restored for the health of India.
Fauna
The water of Ganga itself is rich in diverse fauna. Within the waters of Ganga and her tributaries, 140 species of fish have been discovered, such as featherbacks, barbs, walking catfish, gouramis and milkfish to name a few, and over ninety species of amphibians.1 One study examining the stretch of Ganga between Rishikesh and Kanpur alone found forty species of zooplankton, four species of crustaceans, fifteen mollusks, twelve species of freshwater turtles (four of which are endangered), and the Smooth-coated otter. There are also endangered Mugger and Gharial crocodiles living in her waters, as well as the Bull shark and the critically-endangered Gangetic shark (glyphis gangeticus) down near the Bay of Bengal.2 These fish and other creatures help to clean the river and are a vital part of Ganga’s ecosystem, yet many of these species are now facing extinction with the issues of pollution and low-flow.
Chousingha
Ganga and some of her tributaries are also home to the endangered Gangetic dolphin. This dolphin was declared the National Aquatic Animal, and has been included in the Ministry of Environment and Forests’ Wildlife Protection Act since 1972. Sadly, one organization has estimated that only 1,200-1,800 individual dolphins exist now in the Ganga river system.3
In addition to the creatures living directly in the river system, thousands of species live along the banks of Ganga and depend on her waters for life itself. In the uppermost regions of the river in the Himalayas, many species rely on Ganga, such as deer, boar, wildcats, wolves, jackals, foxes and the elusive endangered snow leopard.
Elephants bathing in Ganga in Rishikesh
As one continues downstream, endangered tigers, elephants, sloth bears, four-horned antelope (Chousingha) and the Large Indian Civet can be found, among other creatures such as the Rhesus macaque and the Gray (or Hanuman) Langur.
Royal Bengal Tiger
In the large deltaic region of Ganga, known as the Sundarbans, a rich diversity of animals exist on her waters. Many large animals live here including the critically endangered Royal Bengal tiger as well as the Barking deer, Axis deer, wild boar, mongoose, snakes such as the King Cobra and pythons, Monitor and Salvator lizards and the Olive Ridley turtle, among many others. The Sundarbans is also home to the largest Estuarine crocodile in the world.4
Peacock
The entire stretch of Ganga and her tributaries is also home to thousands of birds who rely on Ganga for water and fish, with many settling in water-covered swamp areas along her banks. Over forty-eight species of birds have been identified between Rishikesh and Kanpur alone,5 including myna birds, kites, parrots, crows, Kingfisher birds, partridges, fowl, ducks and snipes.6 The Sundarbans is a large breeding ground for a wide variety of birds, including the Spotted billed pelican, cotton teal, herring gull, Caspian tern, grey heron, large egret, white ibis, osprey, Peregrine falcon and a variety of owls and sea eagles, among many other varieties.7 Five seperate areas along the Ganga support birdlife found nowhere else in the world.8
Flora: Deciduous and coniferous tress are seen in abundance in the plains of Ganga Brahmaputra. Trees such as bamboo, sacred fig (peepal) , sakhua , teak, pine, fir, deodar cedar, etc. are grown.
Fauna: Forest life includes animals like elephants, rhinoceros, deer, monkeys, tigers. Rivers are occupied with crocodiles and many fish varieties.
Read more on Brainly.in - https://brainly.in/question/968198#readmore
Ganges River
RIVER, ASIA
Alternative Title: Ganga
Ganges River, Hindi Ganga, great river of the plains of the northern Indian subcontinent. Although officially as well as popularly called the Ganga in Hindi and in other Indian languages, internationally it is known by its conventional name, the Ganges. From time immemorial it has been the holy river of Hinduism. For most of its course it is a wide and sluggish stream, flowing through one of the most fertile and densely populated regions in the world. Despite its importance, its length of 1,560 miles (2,510 km) is relatively short compared with the other great rivers of Asia or of the world.
Rising in the Himalayas and emptying into the Bay of Bengal, it drains one-fourth of the territory of India, and its basin supports hundreds of millions of people. The greater part of the Indo-Gangetic Plain, across which it flows, is the heartland of the region known as Hindustan and has been the cradle of successive civilizations from the Mauryan empire of Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE to the Mughal Empire, founded in the 16th century.
For most of its course the Ganges flows through Indian territory, although its large delta in the Bengal area, which it shares with the Brahmaputra River, lies mostly in Bangladesh. The general direction of the river’s flow is from northwest to southeast. At its delta the flow is generally southward.
Physical Features
Physiography
The Ganges rises in the southern Great Himalayas on the Indian side of the border with the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. Its five headstreams—the Bhagirathi, the Alaknanda, the Mandakini, the Dhauliganga, and the Pindar—all rise in the mountainous region of northern Uttarakhand state. Of those, the two main headstreams are the Alaknanda (the longer of the two), which rises about 30 miles (50 km) north of the Himalayan peak of Nanda Devi, and the Bhagirathi, which originates at about 10,000 feet (3,000 metres) above sea level in a subglacial meltwater cave at the base of the Himalayan glacier known as Gangotri. Gangotri itself is a sacred place for Hindu pilgrimage. The true source of the Ganges, however, is considered to be at Gaumukh, about 13 miles (21 km) southeast of Gangotri.
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The Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers unite at Devaprayag to form the main stream known as the Ganga, which cuts southwestward through the Siwalik Range (Outer Himalayas) at the northern edge of the Indo-Gangetic Plain to emerge from the mountains at Rishikesh. It then flows onto the plain at Haridwar, another place held sacred by Hindus.
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. From April to June the melting Himalayan snows feed the river, and in the rainy season, from July to September, the rain-bearing monsoons cause floods. During winter the river’s flow declines. South of Haridwar, now within the state of Uttar Pradesh, the river receives its two principal right-bank tributaries: the Yamuna River, which flows through the Delhi capital region and then roughly parallels the southeastward flow of the Ganges before joining it near Allahabad, and the Tons, which flows north from the Vindhya Range in Madhya Pradesh state and joins the Ganges just below Allahabad. The main left-bank tributaries in Uttar Pradesh are the Ramganga, the Gomati, and the Ghaghara.
The Ganges next enters the state of Bihar, where its main tributaries from the Himalayan region of Nepal to the north are the Gandak, the Burhi (“Old”) Gandak, the Ghugri, and the Kosi rivers. Its most-important southern tributary is the Son River. The river then skirts the Rajmahal Hills to the south and flows southeast to Farakka in central West Bengal state, at the apex of the delta. West Bengal is the last Indian state that the Ganges enters, and, after it flows into Bangladesh, the Mahananda River joins it from the north. In West Bengal in India, as well as in Bangladesh, the Ganges is locally called the Padma. The westernmost distributaries of the delta are the Bhagirathi and the Hugli (Hooghly) rivers, on the east bank of which stands the huge metropolis of Kolkata (Calcutta). The Hugli itself is joined by two tributaries flowing in from the west, the Damodar and the Rupnarayan. As the Ganges passes from West Bengal into Bangladesh, a number of distributaries branch off to the south into the river’s vast delta. In Bangladesh the Ganges is joined by the mighty Brahmaputra (which is called the Jamuna in Bangladesh) near Goalundo Ghat. The combined stream, there called the Padma, joins with the Meghna River above Chandpur. The waters then flow through the delta region to the Bay of Bengal via innumerable channels, the largest of which is known as the Meghna estuary.
The Ganges-Brahmaputra system has the third greatest average discharge of the world’s rivers, at roughly 1,086,500 cubic feet (30,770 cubic metres) per second; approximately 390,000 cubic feet (11,000 cubic metres) per second is supplied by the Ganges alone. The rivers’ combined suspended sediment load of about 1.84 billion tons per year is the world’s highest.
Dhaka (Dacca), the capital of Bangladesh, stands on the Buriganga (“Old Ganges”), a tributary of the Dhaleswari. Apart from the Hugli and the Meghna, the other distributary streams that form the Ganges delta are, in West Bengal, the Jalangi River and, in Bangladesh, the Matabhanga, Bhairab, Kabadak, Garai-Madhumati, and Arial Khan rivers.
The Ganges, as well as its tributaries and distributaries, is constantly vulnerable to changes in its course in the delta region. Such changes have occurred in comparatively recent times, especially since 1750. In 1785 the Brahmaputra flowed past the city of Mymensingh; it now flows more than 40 miles (65 km) west of it before joining the Ganges.
The delta, the seaward prolongation of sediment deposits from the Ganges and Brahmaputra river valleys, is about 220 miles (355 km) along the coast and covers an area of some 23,000 square miles (60,000 square km). It is composed of repeated alternations of clays, sands, and marls, with recurring layers of peat, lignite, and beds of what were once forests. The new deposits of the delta, known in Hindi and Urdu as the khadar, naturally occur in the vicinity of the present channels. The delta’s growth is dominated by tidal processes.
The southern surface of the Ganges delta has been formed by the rapid and comparatively recent deposition of enormous loads of sediment. To the east the seaward side of the delta is being changed at a rapid rate by the formation of new lands, known as chars, and new islands. The western coastline of the delta, however, has remained practically unchanged since the 18th century.
The rivers in the West Bengal area are sluggish; little water passes down them to the sea. In the Bangladeshi delta region, the rivers are broad and active, carrying plentiful water and connected by innumerable creeks. During the rains (June to October) the greater part of the region is flooded to a depth of 3 or more feet (at least 1 metre), leaving the villages and homesteads, which are built on artificially raised land, isolated above the floodwaters. Communication between settlements during that season can be accomplished only by boat.
To the seaward side of the delta as a whole, there is a vast stretch of tidal mangrove forests and swampland. The region, called the Sundarbans, is protected by India and Bangladesh for conservation purposes. Each country’s portion of the Sundarbans has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, India’s in 1987 and Bangladesh’s in 1997.
In certain parts of the delta there occur layers of peat, composed of the remains of forest vegetation and rice plants. In many natural depressions, known as bils, peat, still in the process of formation, has been used as a fertilizer by local farmers, and it has been dried and used as a domestic and industrial fuel.
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