Ghaggar River

Ghaggar River Reserve Latest News

A joint committee constituted by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has found that the Ghaggar River water contained from two to three times the prescribed limit of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), making it unfit for outdoor bathing.

About Ghaggar River

• The Ghaggar River is an intermittent river that flows in India and Pakistan.
• The river flows only during the monsoon season. 
• Course: It originates in the Shivalik Hills of Himachal Pradesh and flows through Haryana and Rajasthan before disappearing into the Thar Desert. 
• This seasonal river feeds two irrigation canals that extend into Rajasthan. 
• The Hakra, which flows in Pakistan, is the continuation of the Ghaggar River in India, and they are together called the Ghaggar-Hakra River.

Ghaggar RiverHistorical Significance

• Several historians identify Ghaggar with the Vedic Saraswati River.
• Along the banks of the Ghaggar River, many settlements of the Indus Valley Civilization have been excavated.
• Hence it is believed that the ancient settlements on its banks are the creation of ingenious Vedic Aryans.
• It is believed that the rivers Sutlej and Yamuna once flowed into the Ghaggar-Hakra river bed.

Ghaggar River Tributaries

The main tributaries of the Ghaggar are the Kaushalya River, Markanda, Sarsuti, Tangri, and Chautang.

Ghaggar River Reserve FAQs

Q1. Why is the Ghaggar river called Dead river?

Ans. It is called a dead river because it depends on the monsoon rainfall to flow.

Q2. Where does the Ghaggar river start and end?

Ans. It originates in the Shivalik Hills of Himachal Pradesh and flows through Haryana and Rajasthan before disappearing into the Thar Desert. 

Q3. What is an intermittent river?

Ans. An intermittent river, also known as a seasonal river, is a river that flows only during certain times of the year when it receives sufficient water from rainfall, melting snow, or groundwater sources.

Source: TI