Key Facts about Yamuna River

About Yamuna River:

• Yamuna River (also known as Jumna) is the major tributary of the Ganges River. 
• Origin: It rises in the high Himalaya, in the Yamunotri Glacier, at the height of 4,421 meters. 
• Course: 
  • The 1,376 km long Yamuna flows solely through India, crossing three states: Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
  • After rising in the high himalayas, it flows in a southerly direction swiftly through the Himalayan foothills and, exiting Uttarakhand, onto the Indo-Gangetic Plain, along the border between Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana state to the west. The Eastern and Western Yamuna canals are fed from the river at that point.
  • The Yamuna then passes Delhi, where it feeds the Agra Canal.
  • South of Delhi, and now wholly within Uttar Pradesh, it turns southeastward.
  • Near Prayagraj (Allahabad), after a course of about 855 miles (1,376 km), the Yamuna joins the Ganges River. 
  • The confluence of the two rivers is an especially sacred place to Hindus and is the site of annual festivals as well as the Kumbh Mela, which is held every 12 years.
• Tributaries:
  • Near Dehradun, the capital city of Uttarakhand, the Yamuna is joined by its biggest tributary, the Tons River.
  • The Chambal River is Yamuna’s biggest tributary on the right.
  • Other important tributaries of the Yamuna include the Hindon, Sarda, and Giri rivers on the right and Betwa and Sindh on the left.

Q1: What is the National Green Tribunal (NGT)?

It has been established under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010 for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources. It comprises the Chairperson, the Judicial Members, and Expert Members. The Tribunal is not bound by the procedure laid down under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, but shall be guided by principles of natural justice. New Delhi is the Principal Place of Sitting of the Tribunal and Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai shall be the other four places of sitting of the Tribunal.

Source: Yamuna floodplain construction: NGT seeks reply