Alaknanda river’s clear green blue giving way to muddiness

Alaknanda river’s clear green blue giving way to muddiness

Subject: Geography

Context: 6 days post flash floods in Uttarakhand saw Alaknanda river water turning muddy raising concern.

Concept:

• Normally Alaknanda is muddy only in the monsoon. It is the result of suspended sand, clay, rocks, in the water. Dhauliganga carried the deposits into Alaknanda river after the flood.
• The flood weakened downstream of Tapovan, and the mud and debris reached Rishikesh.

Formation of Ganga

• The Alaknanda rises in the Satopanth glacier and is met at Vishnuprayag by the Dhauli Ganga.
• The Alaknanda is then met by the Nandakini at Nandaprayag, Pindar at Karnaprayag, Mandakini at Rudraprayag, and Bhagirathi at Devprayag.
• Thereafter, it is known as Ganga, which flows to Rishikesh and Haridwar.