Amazing facts about Ganges River

[Ross Geller]

Unexplained sounds in Ganges delta

Mistpouffers or Barisal Guns are unexplained sounds that resemble a sonic boom that have been reported in many waterfront communities worldwide. In India especially, they have been heard in the delta regions of Ganga and Brahmaputra. While they resemble the sonic boom of a supersonic jet, what’s even mysterious is the fact that they have been reported from times before any airplanes were invented. T.D. LaTouche, a British officer wrote about these puzzling sounds in his journal in the 1890s.

LaTouche wrote, “…reports of Barisal guns occurring with the earthquake shocks, but they also are said to occur without, and to have been frequent before the big earthquake. A host of plausible explanations may now exist for these enigmas, including earthquakes, rock bursts, mud volcanoes, explosive venting of gas, storm-driven waves, tsunamis, meteors, distant thunder and so-called booming sands.” These unexplained sounds are still reported and continue to puzzle experts

Sheer size of Ganga

It is difficult to ascertain the sheer size of Ganga just with a glance at a piece of paper. Ganges river system is a very complicated, especially in the delta region. Its complex tributaries and bifurcations in Bengal make it very difficult to determine its exact length. However, it is believed to be slightly over 2,500 km in length. The Ganges Delta formed mainly by sediment-laden flows from Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers is the world’s largest delta. It covers an area of about 59,000 km2. Only the Amazon and Congo rivers have a greater average water discharge than the combined outflow of Ganges-Brahmaputra river system.

Anti-putrefaction properties of Ganga

River waters usually tend to putrefy when the lack of oxygen promotes the growth of anaerobic bacteria that lends the water a distinct smell and stale taste. The water of Ganga though considered one of the dirtiest, does not tend to putrefy over longer periods of storage. In fact, British Physician, C.E. Nelson, observed that the Ganga water taken from Hooghly river (one of its dirtiest mouths) by returning ships to England remained fresh throughout the voyage. Anti-putrefaction Properties of Ganga was the reason East India Company ships only used water from Ganges for drinking purposes on their 3-month long voyage back to England because it stayed “sweet and fresh.” In a study conducted by Malaria Research Center in New Delhi it was observed that water from upper ambits of Ganga did not host mosquito breeding, and also prevented mosquito breeding in any water it was added to.

Anti-bacterial nature of Ganga Jal (Ganges Water)

Hindus have always believed Ganga Jal to be pure, pious and drinkable no matter what. Much reverence is given to Ganga water during Hindu rituals (from birth to death). But is there really any scientific validity to prove it? In 1896, Ernest Hanbury Hankin (a British bacteriologist) after testing the water from Ganga wrote a paper that was published in French Journal describing that the bacterium Vibrio Cholerae that causes the deadly cholera, when put into the waters of Ganga died within three hours. The same bacteria continued to thrive in distilled water even after 48 hours.Hankin also suggested that the water of this river and its tributary Yamuna were responsible for containing the spread of deadly cholera in the region in those days. Similarly in 1927, Felix d’Herelle (a French-Canadian microbiologist) was amazed to find no germs at all in water collected just few feet below the floating bodies of people who died of cholera and dysentery. The presence of bacteriophages (viruses that kill bacteria) in the water of Ganges is considered as the reason behind this quality and its purity.


Ganges Dolphin

The Ganges river dolphin(Platanista gangetica) was declared India’s National Aquatic Animal in 2009. The Ganges River Dolphin used to exist in large numbers near the urban centers in both the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers. It is now seriously threatened by pollution and dam construction. Their numbers have now dwindled to a quarter of their numbers fifteen years ago. They have become extinct in the Ganges’s main tributaries. There are several marine dolphins, whose ranges include some freshwater habitats, but there are only four dolphin species that live only in freshwater rivers and lakes and Ganges river dolphin is one of them.

Ganges Shark

The Ganges shark (Glyphis gangeticus) is a rare fresh water shark species that inhabits the waters of Ganges. It shouldn’t be confused with the Bull shark, which also inhabits the same river. It is stocky, with a broadly rounded snout and has small eyes. It is a freshwater species and is known from only two surviving specimens collected in the Ganges River. Its small eyes indicate its habit to exclusively include murky waters. It is widely feared as a ferocious man-eater.

Ganges fan

Submarine fans are submerged geological structures formed from large scale sedimentation from rivers. Ganges fan (Bengal fan), is the largest submarine fan on Earth. It is about 3000 km long and about 1000 km wide with a maximum thickness of 16.5 km. The fan is said to completely cover the Bay of Bengal. Currents have transported the sediment through a series of submarine canyons, some of which are more than 1,500 miles in length. This fan is of utmost importance to India due to the possibility of huge hydrocarbon deposits.


Ganga in Mythology

The name of Ganga appears only twice in the Rig Veda, and it was only later that Ganga assumed great importance as a goddess. According to the 'Vishnu Purana,' she was created from the sweat of Lord Vishnu's feet. Hence, she is also called 'Vishmupadi' - the one flowing from the foot of Vishnu. Another mythological tale states that Ganga is Parvataraja's daughter, and the sister of Parvati, Lord Shiva's consort. A popular legend cites that Ganga was devoted to Lord Krishna in heaven, which made his lover Radha jealous, who cursed Ganga to go down to earth and flow as a river.

Higher dissolved oxygen content of Ganga

An Indian environmental engineer, D.S. Bhargava after three years of thorough study of Ganga concluded that Ganga is able to reduce its biochemical oxygen demand level much faster than other rivers. Bhargava says, organic materials usually exhaust a river’s available oxygen and starts putrefying. But in the Ganges, an unknown substance acts on organic materials and bacteria and kills them. He further adds Ganga’s self-purifying quality leads to oxygen levels 25 times higher than any other river in the world.

 

[Ross Geller]

# The Kumbh Mela, world’s largest peaceful gathering took place on the banks of River Ganges. Two cities i.e. Rishikesh and Allahabad lies on the banks of River Ganges and both host Kumbh Mela.

# The Gangetic Plain is one of the most fertile land in the world and almost 10% of world population lives there.

#The British East India Company used water only from Ganges River for drinking purpose on their 3-month long voyage back to England. According to British, they preferred the water of River Ganges because it stayed “Sweet and Fresh” in entire journey.

#The Ganges River purifies its water 25% faster than any other river in the world. The Ganges water contains Bacteriophages which allows the river to purify itself faster than any other river in the world

#Another amazing Ganges River fact is its water did not host mosquito breeding and its water also prevents mosquito breeding in any water it is added to

#The British East India Company used water only from Ganges River for drinking purpose on their 3-month long voyage back to England. According to British, they preferred the water of River Ganges because it stayed “Sweet and Fresh” in entire journey

#Mughal Emperor Akbar once said “Water of Ganges is water of Immortality".

 

[Ross Geller]

#Ganges river system is the only on earth to have both freshwater dolphins and riverine sharks.

 

[General General]

I feel I need to call you out on the river being clean. Quoting people from the eighteenth century does not support this notion. A friend of mine had visited India a few years ago and she said the river was so polluted, it looked like a raw sewerage reservoir.
It might be sacred, but brushing core issues under the carpet doesn't help the problem.
According to recent findings, some of the facts are brought to light:

• Approximately 1 billion litres of raw, untreated sewage are dumped in the river on a daily basis. The amount has more than doubled in the last 20 years and experts predict another 100% increase in the following 20 years.

• The rapid explosion of India's population in the last 25 years coupled with lax regulations on industry has put a huge strain on the river leading to an explosion in Ganges river pollution.

• Thousands of bodies are cremated on the banks of the river yearly with many being released into the river with hopes that their souls may have a direct path to heaven.

• Hundreds Unwanted or 'illegitimate' babies, cattle and other animal carcases are also dumped in the Ganges again with religious significance

• The levels of Coliform bacteria is over 2800 times the level considered safe by the W.H.O (world health organisation)

source
The Indian Prime Minister; Modi had promised a £2 billion fund over five years to clean up the river. That promise was made in 2014, about three years ago, and the river has actually become a lot more polluted since.
source

 

[Ross Geller]

I feel I need to call you out on the river being clean. Quoting people from the eighteenth century does not support this notion. A friend of mine had visited India a few years ago and she said the river was so polluted, it looked like a raw sewerage reservoir.
It might be sacred, but brushing core issues under the carpet doesn't help the problem.
According to recent findings, some of the facts are brought to light:

• Approximately 1 billion litres of raw, untreated sewage are dumped in the river on a daily basis. The amount has more than doubled in the last 20 years and experts predict another 100% increase in the following 20 years.

• The rapid explosion of India's population in the last 25 years coupled with lax regulations on industry has put a huge strain on the river leading to an explosion in Ganges river pollution.

• Thousands of bodies are cremated on the banks of the river yearly with many being released into the river with hopes that their souls may have a direct path to heaven.

• Hundreds Unwanted or 'illegitimate' babies, cattle and other animal carcases are also dumped in the Ganges again with religious significance

• The levels of Coliform bacteria is over 2800 times the level considered safe by the W.H.O (world health organisation)

source
The Indian Prime Minister; Modi had promised a £2 billion fund over five years to clean up the river. That promise was made in 2014, about three years ago, and the river has actually become a lot more polluted since.
source

Yeah , we already know that. Never said it's clean. In fact it is the fifth dirtiest river in the world.

 

[ZenBird]

I feel I need to call you out on the river being clean. Quoting people from the eighteenth century does not support this notion. A friend of mine had visited India a few years ago and she said the river was so polluted, it looked like a raw sewerage reservoir.
It might be sacred, but brushing core issues under the carpet doesn't help the problem.
According to recent findings, some of the facts are brought to light:

• Approximately 1 billion litres of raw, untreated sewage are dumped in the river on a daily basis. The amount has more than doubled in the last 20 years and experts predict another 100% increase in the following 20 years.

• The rapid explosion of India's population in the last 25 years coupled with lax regulations on industry has put a huge strain on the river leading to an explosion in Ganges river pollution.

• Thousands of bodies are cremated on the banks of the river yearly with many being released into the river with hopes that their souls may have a direct path to heaven.

• Hundreds Unwanted or 'illegitimate' babies, cattle and other animal carcases are also dumped in the Ganges again with religious significance

• The levels of Coliform bacteria is over 2800 times the level considered safe by the W.H.O (world health organisation)

source
The Indian Prime Minister; Modi had promised a £2 billion fund over five years to clean up the river. That promise was made in 2014, about three years ago, and the river has actually become a lot more polluted since.
source

This guy is entertaining lol He is creating a thread about the Ganga so that Pakistanis inevitably come and troll on it and then he can troll them back

 

[Rajaraja Chola]

Ganges have sharks? New to me. When you have 3 states who have tripled, quadrapled, hexapled 6 times more population than other Indian states since independence, the pollution is bound to happen. Its sad. 5B$ is not enough to clean it.

Infact there is no need to clean it. Just create infrastructure to stop sewage and chemicals to mix from it. Enough. It will clean itself in a year or 2.