Yamuna River

Why in news?

• Delhi is currently experiencing a severe waterlogging crisis due to the rising water levels of the Yamuna River. The water level has surged to 208.13 meters, marking the highest recorded level since 1963.

About Yamuna river:

• It originates from the Yamunotri Glacier on the southwestern slopes or Banderpoonch peak in the Mussoorie range of the lower Himalayas (in Uttarakhand).
• Flows along states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana enters Delhi and merges with the Ganga near Triveni Sangam, Prayagraj - which is a site of the Kumbh Mela.
• It is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganga and the longest tributary in India.
• Its main affluent in the upper reaches is the Tons river which also rises from the Bandarpunch glacier. It joins the Yamuna below Kalsi before the latter leaves the hills.
• The total length of the Yamuna from its origin till Allahabad is 1,376 km.
• It creates the highly fertile alluvial, Yamuna-Ganges Doab region between itself and the Ganges in the Indo-Gangetic plain.

Major Tributaries of Yamuna River

• Tons, Giri, Hindon, Chambal, Banas, Kali Sindh, Parbati, Sind, Betwa, Dashan, Ken.

Important cities through which Yamuna passes:

• Delhi, Noida, Mathura, Agra, Firozabad, Etawah, Kalpi, Hamirpur, and Prayagraj.

Barrages:

• Yamuna has the following six functional barrages:
  • Dakpathar Barrage in Uttarakhand
  • Hathni Kund Barrage in Haryana
  • Wazirabad barrage in north Delhi
  • ITO barrage (Indraparstha barrage) in central Delhi
  • New Okhla Barrage in Delhi, managed by the Uttar Pradesh
  • Gokul barrage in Uttar Pradesh.

National Waterway:

• Yamuna is one of the National Waterways of India, designated as NW110 in Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

Yamuna Action Plan (YAP):

• It is a bilateral project between the Government of India and Japan, introduced in 1993.
• It is one of the largest river restoration projects in India

PRELIMS QUESTION

Which of the following rivers are the tributaries of river Yamuna?

1. Son

2. Betwa

3. Chambal

4. Kosi

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 and 4 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1,2 and 3 only

(d) 1,2,3 and 4

Answer