Fear of flood:Climate change has changed the course of the Ganges, warning of severe flooding

Climate change has had a profound effect on our environment. A study has made shocking revelations about the impact of climate change on the river Ganga. A study by the Indian Institute of Science Kanpur states that the flow of the Ganges has changed due to human activities and climate change, which has increased the risk of flooding from the Ganges basin. Increasing human activities had already had devastating effects on the river but now increasing pollution has also changed the direction of its flow.

The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, found that changes in the flow of the Ganges were more pronounced than in the past, such as climate change and dam construction. The study, focusing on the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda, two important tributaries of the Ganges, also described the damage caused by humanitarian action in the mountainous areas.

From the west, the river flows through the Gangotri Glacier. However, it originates from the Alaknanda Santpanth Glacier, a tributary of the Ganges. The two tributaries together form the Ganges at Devprayag. Researchers studied the Upper Ganga Basin as far as Hrishikesh to know the effect of climate change on the Ganges.

Lack of sedimentation in the downstream Ganga basin has changed the main shape of the river.