Discuss the distribution and density of population in the Ganga River Basin with special reference to…

Question

Discuss the distribution and density of population in the Ganga River Basin with special reference to land, soil and water resources.

Ghissu Editorial · Accepted Answer

Population in the Ganga basin is densest on the flat, fertile, well-watered alluvial plain and thins out on the Himalayan and peninsular margins, rising from west to east. Bihar records 1,106 persons per sq km against Uttarakhand's 189 (Census 2011).

**Introduction**

The Ganga basin covers about a quarter of India's area yet supports over 40% of its people. Density rises from the Himalayan and peninsular margins towards the alluvial core, and from west to east.

**Distribution and Density Across the Basin**

1. **Sparse margins**: Uttarakhand (189 persons per sq km, Census 2011), the Chambal ravines and Bundelkhand stay thinly settled.
2. **Dense plain**: Density climbs from Uttar Pradesh (829) to Bihar (1,106), the highest major state, with river towns from Kanpur to Patna along the main stem.
3. **Delta and terai**: West Bengal's delta (1,028) is crowded, and the once marshy terai filled up after post-1950 reclamation.

**Land, Soil and Water as the Drivers**

SKETCH: comparison | Dense Core vs Sparse Margins
a: Gangetic plain core
b: Himalayan, plateau margins
- Flat alluvial plain :: Steep slopes, ravines
- Deep khadar, bhangar :: Thin, stony soils
- Perennial rivers, aquifers :: Seasonal flow, hard rock
- Bihar 1,106 per sq km :: Uttarakhand 189 per sq km

1. **Land and soil**: A level plain of renewed khadar and older bhangar sustains two to three crops a year, while slopes, ravines and usar patches limit settlement.
2. **Water endowment**: Snow-fed rivers, the Upper Ganga Canal (1854) and shallow aquifers support rice-wheat farming, and rainfall rising from about 700 mm near Agra to 1,500 mm in Bengal mirrors the density gradient.
3. **Flood paradox**: North Bihar's flood-prone Kosi plain stays densely settled because fresh silt outweighs the hazard.

**Way Forward**

1. **Basin-scale management**: Community groundwater budgeting, tapping the 448 untapped drains (CPCB 2024-25) under Namami Gange and Kosi flood cooperation with Nepal will protect the plain.

**Conclusion**

Population in the Ganga basin follows its resources: flat land, renewed soil and perennial water produce peak density. Sustaining that density now depends on basin-wide resource management.

Discuss the distribution and density of population in the Ganga River Basin with special reference to land, soil and water resources.

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