Source: TOI
Context: A report by Haryana’s irrigation department confirms that illegal sand mining in Sonipat has diverted the Yamuna’s natural course, violating NGT orders and environmental laws.
About Yamuna River:
- Location:
- Originates from the Yamunotri Glacier in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand, at an altitude of 4,421 meters in the Himalayas.
- States it Flows Through: The Yamuna basin covers Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and parts of Rajasthan.
- Total Length: Spans approximately 1,376 km, making it the longest river in India that does not drain directly into the sea.
- Major Tributaries
- Himalayan Region:
- Rishi Ganga, Hanuman Ganga, Tons, Giri.
- Tons River is the largest tributary, contributing about 60% of total Yamuna discharge.
- Plains: Hindon, Chambal, Sind, Betwa, Ken.
- Himalayan Region:
- Key Cities Along the River:
- Delhi stretch: Enters at Palla Village, exits at Jaitpur (covers 52 km).
- Other cities: Noida, Mathura, Agra, Firozabad, Etawah, Kalpi, Hamirpur, and Prayagraj.
- Confluence:
- Merges with Ganga at Prayagraj (Allahabad), forming the Sangam, one of Hinduism’s most sacred sites.
