Source: TOI
Subject: Mapping
Context: For the first time, West Bengal’s State Mission for Clean Ganga (SMCG) is deploying drones to map pollution sources along a 120 km stretch of the Hooghly River.
About Hooghly River:
What it is?
- The Hooghly River (also spelled Hugli) is a major distributary of the Ganga River system in West Bengal, serving as a crucial lifeline for navigation, industry, and urban settlements, including Kolkata.
Origin:
- Formed at Nabadwip by the junction of the Bhagirathi and Jalangi rivers.
- The Bhagirathi itself is a distributary of the Ganga, making Hooghly part of the Ganga deltaic system.
Flow through:
- Flows southward through Nadia, Hooghly, Howrah, Kolkata, and South 24 Parganas districts.
- Empties into the Bay of Bengal via a wide estuary.
Tributaries: Ajay, Damodar, Rupnarayan, and Haldi
Hooghly is a tributary of:
- The Ganga River (it is a distributary arm providing access from the Bay of Bengal to inland Kolkata).
Key features:
- Tidal river with a strong tidal bore, aiding navigation but contributing to siltation.
- Navigable by ocean-going vessels up to Kolkata, supported by continuous dredging.
- Hosts major infrastructure like the Howrah Bridge and Bally Bridge.
- Environmentally stressed due to sewage discharge, industrial effluents, and urban runoff, making pollution monitoring critical.
