Question

River Ganga is shared by which of the following states:

1. Uttar Pradesh
2. Chhattisgarh
3. West Bengal
4. Jharkhand

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

1. 1, 2 and 3 only
2. 1 and 3 only
3. 2, 3 and 4 only
4. 1, 3 and 4 only

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 4 : 1, 3 and 4 only

The correct answer is 1, 3 and 4 only.

•  The Ganga System
  • The Ganga is the most important river of India both from the point of view of its basin and cultural significance.
  • It rises in the Gangotri glacier near Gaumukh (3,900 m) in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. Here, it is known as the Bhagirathi.
  • It cuts through the Central and the Lesser Himalayas in narrow gorges.
  • At Devprayag, the Bhagirathi meets the Alaknanda; hereafter, it is known as the Ganga.
  • The Alaknanda has its source in the Satopanth glacier above Badrinath.
    • The Alaknanda consists of the Dhauli and the Vishnu Ganga which meet at Joshimath or Vishnu Prayag.
    • The other tributaries of Alaknanda such as the Pindar joins it at Karna Prayag while Mandakini or Kali Ganga meets it at Rudra Prayag.
  • The Ganga enters the plains at Haridwar. From here, it flows first to the south, then to the south-east and east before splitting into two distributaries, namely the Bhagirathi and the Padma.
  • The river has a length of 2,525 km.
  • It is shared by Uttarakhand (110 km) and Uttar Pradesh (1,450 km), Bihar (445 km) and West Bengal (520 km).

• The Ganga basin covers about 8.6 lakh sq. km area in India alone.
• The Ganga river system is the largest in India having a number of perennial and non-perennial rivers originating in the Himalayas in the north and the Peninsula in the south, respectively.
• The Son is its major right-bank tributary.
• The important left-bank tributaries are the Ramganga, the Gomati, the Ghaghara, the Gandak, the Kosi and the Mahananda.
• The river finally discharges itself into the Bay of Bengal near the Sagar Island.