Drying of the Ganga river basin seen in recent decades could be severe and unprecedented, threatening water and food security for millions, an analysis of trends spanning 1,300 years suggests.
Findings published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences show that "drying from 1991 to 2020 is unmatched in the past millennium". Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar and the University of Arizona in the US have linked the drying of the Ganga to reduced rainfall during the southwest monsoon (June-September).
The team used data gathered via instruments, historical records and models of water flow during 1991-2020, and reconstructed water flow models for the past 1,300 years (700-1990 CE). "The Ganga River basin, critical to over 600 million people, is experiencing a severe and unprecedented drying trend, threatening water and food security," the authors wrote. -- PTI