YAMUNA RIVER - GEOGRAPHY
News: Supreme Court Orders Immediate
Cleaning Of Yamuna River In Agra
What's in the news?
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The Supreme Court, in response to a petition filed
by the Agra Development Foundation (ADF), issued a decisive order for the
immediate cleaning of silt, sludge, and filth from the Yamuna River passing
through Agra.
River Yamuna:
Source of river:
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It originates from the Yamunotri glacier on the Bandarpunch Peak in the Garhwal region in
Uttarakhand at an elevation of about 6,000 meters.
Area of flow:
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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.
Features:
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It is the largest
and the most important tributary of river Ganga.
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It cuts across the Nag Tibba, the Mussoorie and the
Shiwalik ranges. It emerges out of the hilly area and enters the plains.
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It merges with the Ganga near Triveni Sangam,
Allahabad.
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The confluence of the two rivers is a sacred place
to Hindus and is the site of annual festivals, as well as the Kumbh Mela, which is held every 12
years and is attended by millions of devotees.
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The total length of the Yamuna from its origin till
Allahabad is 1,376 km.
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In the early 1990s the national government, with
financial assistance from Japan, began implementing the Yamuna Action Plan, a
multiphase project that has been partly successful at reducing the river’s
pollution levels.
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It makes the highly
fertile alluvial Yamuna-Ganges Doab region between itself and the Ganges in
the Indo-Gangetic plain.
Tributaries:
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Non peninsular tributaries – Rishiganga, Uma,
Tons, Hindon (Left bank)
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Peninsular tributaries - Chambal, Sind, Betwa, Ken
(Right bank)
Tons river:
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The Tons, largest tributary of the Yamuna, has some
magical spots in it’s upper reaches.
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The river originates at an elevation of 3900 m and
joins the Yamuna below Kalsi near Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
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It is one of the major perennial Indian Himalayan
rivers.
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It is the biggest
tributary of the Yamuna.
Chambal river:
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The Chambal rises in the highlands of Janapao Hills
(700 m) in the Vindhya Range.
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It flows through the Malwa Plateau.
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It joins the Yamuna in Etawah district of Uttar
Pradesh.
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Dams - Gandhi Sagar dam, Rana Pratap Sagar dam, Jawahar
sagar dam, Kota barrage.
Sindh river:
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The Sind originates in Vidisha Plateau of Madhya Pradesh.
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It flows for a distance of 415 km before merging
into the Yamuna.
Betwa river:
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The Betwa rises in Bhopal district (Vindhya Range) and joins the Yamuna
near Hamirpur. It has a total length of 590 km. Its important tributary is Dhasan.
Ken river:
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The Ken river rising from the Barner Range of Madhya Pradesh joins the Yamuna near Chila.
Other Key takeaways:
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The Yamuna defines the state borders between
Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and between Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
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The cities of Baghpat, Delhi, Noida, Mathura, Agra,
Firozabad, Etawah, Kalpi, Hamirpur, and Prayagraj lie on its banks.
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The Kalesar
National Park is one of the best parks in India and is situated on the
geographical boundary of Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. It
has the Yamuna river flowing on one side of it.
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Okhla Bird Sanctuary also known as Shaheed Chandra Shekhar Azad Sanctuary
is a bird sanctuary at the Okhla barrage over Yamuna River. It is situated in
Noida, Gautam Buddha Nagar district, on Delhi-Uttar Pradesh state border.