Ghaggar River

It is an ephemeral river meaning that it doesnt flow year round, only during the monsoon. It rises in Himachal Pradesh, merges with Hakra at the Ottu barrage and then vanishes in the Thar desert. Its basin consists of parts of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan. Its tributaries are Kaushalya, Markanda, Sarsuti, Tangri and Chautang. It also has historical significance as many Indus Valley Civilization sites are unearthed here. The river bed has been encroached by human settlements which leads to large scale destruction during monsoon season.

Ghaggar River is an intermittent river meaning seasonal or temporary river that flows only during the monsoon season. It rises from the Shivalik Hills in the village of Daghsai, in north-western Himachal Pradesh and flows about 320 km southwest through Punjab and Haryana. It eventually dries up in the Thar desert in Rajasthan. The river feeds two irrigation canals that extend into Rajasthan. The river is known as Ghaggar before the Ottu barrage and as the Hakra downstream of the barrage and thus sometimes both are together referred as Ghaggar-Hakra drainage system.

Kaushalya, Markanda, Sarsuti, Tangri and Chautang.

The historical sediments of the 300 km section of the river prove that the Harappan civilization was highly dependent on the seasonal Ghaggar river for agricultural purposes and other activities.

• When the IVC declined due to diminishing monsoons, the Ghaggar-Hakra also dried up, becoming a small seasonal river.
• At that time also it was a monsoonal-fed river
• Most of the Harappan sites along the Ghaggar-Hakra are presently found in desert country, and have remained undisturbed since the end of the Indus Civilization.

• The Sarasvati is mentioned frequently in the Rig Veda, where it is described as a powerful river that flows between the Indus and the Ganges. However, in later Vedic literature, it is said to vanish into the desert.
• Some Indian archaeologists have suggested calling the Harappan culture the "Indus Sarasvati Civilization" because the majority of the Indus Valley sites that are currently known are situated on the Ghaggar-Hakra river and its tributaries rather than on the Indus river.
• However, this is not proven and a contested fact and historians say that these are two separate rivers.

• Human Encroachment: In 2022 there was large scale flooding in the floodplains by Ghaggar and its tributaries Tangri and Markanda. This caused widespread damage as their flood plains have been encroached upon by human settlement.
• Unsustainable Use: Like many rivers in the region, the Ghaggar faces challenges such as over-extraction of water, pollution, and unsustainable agricultural practices.
• Challenges to Restoration: Efforts have been made to study and revive the river, but its intermittent nature makes conservation a complex task.
• Strategies for Protection: There is need for a combination of strategic measures aimed at addressing water management, pollution control and addressing encroachment to protect the riverbank.

Ghagar river only flows during the monsoon and due to climate change its flows have become more unpredictable like in 2022 it led to large scale destruction in Haryana. These challenges are also heightened because of improper use of the river, release of pollutants and encroachment of the river bed. Conserving the Ghaggar River requires a multi-faceted approach involving various stakeholders, including government bodies, local communities, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector.