View source for Ganges Basin

{{Short description|Part of the Ganges-Brahmaputra basin}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2019}}
[[File:Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna_basins.jpg|thumb|400px|Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna basins]]
The '''Ganges Basin''' is a major part of the  [[Ganges River|Ganges]]-[[Brahmaputra River|Brahmaputra]]-[[Meghna]] (GBM) basin draining 1,999,000 square kilometres in [[Tibet]], [[Nepal]], [[India]] and [[Bangladesh]]. To the north, the [[Himalaya]] or lower parallel ranges beyond form the Ganges-Brahmaputra divide. On the west the Ganges Basin borders the [[Indus River|Indus basin]] and then the [[Aravalli Range|Aravalli]] ridge.  Southern limits are the [[Vindhya]]s and [[Chota Nagpur Plateau]].  On the east the Ganges merges with the Brahmaputra through a complex system of common distributaries into the [[Bay of Bengal]].  Its [[Drainage basin|catchment]] lies in the states of [[Uttar Pradesh]] (294,364&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), [[Madhya Pradesh]] (198,962&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), [[Bihar]] (143,961&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), [[Rajasthan]] (112,490&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), [[West Bengal]] (71,485&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), [[Haryana]] (34,341&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), [[Himachal Pradesh]] (4,317&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), [[Delhi]], [[Arunachal Pradesh]] (1,484&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), the whole of Bangladesh, Nepal and [[Bhutan]].  Several tributaries rise inside Tibet before flowing south through Nepal. The basin has a population of more than 500 million, making it the most populated river basin in the world.

==Description==
{{more citations needed section|date=August 2014}}
The basin comprises semi-arid valleys in the rain shadow north of the Himalaya, densely forested mountains south of the highest ranges, the scrubby [[Shiwalik]] foothills and the fertile [[Gangetic Plains]]. Central highlands south of the Gangetic Plain have plateaus, hills and mountains intersected by valleys and river plains. The important [[soil]] types found in the basin are sand, loam, [[clay]] and their combinations such as sandy loam, silty clay etc.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWqFgEuzqt0|title = Life in the Ganga - Brahmaputra Basin &#124; Human Environment Interaction &#124; Geography Class 7 Chapter 8|website = [[YouTube]]}}</ref>

The annual surface water potential of the basin has been assessed as 525&nbsp;km<sup>3</sup> in India, out of which 250&nbsp;km<sup>3</sup> is utilisable water. There is about 580,000&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> of arable land; 29.5% of the cultivable area of India.

Water-related issues of the basin are due to both high and low flows. In [[India]], the states of [[Uttrakhand]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[Bihar]] and [[West Bengal]] are affected by floods. [[Bangladesh]] – at the confluence of [[Brahmaputra River]] and [[Ganges River]] – suffers from severe floods almost every year. Northern Ganges tributaries such as [[Kosi River|Kosi]], [[Gandaki River|Gandak]] and [[Mahananda River|Mahananda]] are the most flood-prone, but southern tributaries also contribute.  Low flows are caused by scarcity of rainfall outside the summer [[Monsoon#Asia-Australian Monsoon|Monsoon]], and sometimes by failure of this monsoon to develop to its normal extent.
The Ganges is joined by [[Kosi River|Kosi]], [[Ghaghra]], Gandak from the Himalayas and by [[Chambal River|Chambal]], Betwa, Son from the peninsular region.

== See also ==

* [[Foreland basin]]
* [[Forebulge]]

==References==
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14634988.2017.1304129
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
* [http://www.ppl.nl/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=82 Bibliography on Water Resources and International Law]. Peace Palace Library
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4322582.stm  S Asia's deadly Himalayan fault]
* http://cpwfbfp.pbwiki.com

{{Waters of South Asia}}
{{GeoSouthAsia}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Coord|25.7|N|84.9|E|type:river_region:IN|display=title}}

{{Uttarakhand}}

[[Category:Ganges basin| ]]
[[Category:Ganges|.]]
[[Category:Drainage basins of India]]
[[Category:Landforms of Bangladesh]]
[[Category:Northeast India]]
[[Category:Freshwater ecoregions]]
[[Category:Natural regions of India]]
[[Category:Geography of India]]