Extraordinary stories about ordinary people’s lives Over the years, Sudha Murty has come across some fascinating people whose lives make for interesting stories and have astonishing lessons to reveal. Take Vishnu, who achieves every material success but never knows happiness; or Venkat, who talks so much that he has no time to listen. In other stories, a young girl goes on a train journey that changes her life forever; an impoverished village woman provides bathing water to hundreds of people in a drought-stricken area; a do-gooder ghost decides to teach a disconsolate young man Sanskrit; and in the title story, a woman in a flooded village in Odisha teaches the author a life lesson she will never forget. From the bestselling author of Wise and Otherwise and The Old Man and His God, this is another heart-warming collection of real-life stories that will delight readers of all ages.

There is a plethora of information available on the river Ganga in the form of books, blogs, articles, websites, videos. Unfortunately, most of the information about this famous river is in a scattered form and reproduced from unverified sources. This contributed volume is the first multi-author volume publication on this subject. The River Ganga includes a vast array of topics written by several authors of distinction. Topics include; hydrology, tributaries, water uses, and environmental features such as river water quality, aquatic and terrestrial flora/fauna, natural resources, ecological characteristics, sensitive environmental components and more. Part I gives a basic introduction of the Ganga river. The existing data and available information from various sources has been compiled in a pictorial fashion in the form of cmaps. Its cultural importance with changing times is also discussed. Part II looks at the rich biodiversity of the Ganga Basin. It gives a detailed description of the major floral and faunal biodiversity with special emphasis on the national aquatic animal dolphin and Sunderbans, the largest mangrove wetland in the world. Part III examines ‘The Ganga Water as it flows’. It focuses on the water quality as well as its associated challenges. Part IV looks at the complexities of issues confronting the river ‘Ganga in changing times’ be it snowmelt runoff, river bank erosion hazards and hydropower assessments; how the factors of population, poverty and pollution contribute to the fate of the river. Part IV touches on economic aspects derived from the river such as business opportunities and tourism.

The Ganges is one of the most complex yet fascinating river systems in the world. The basin is characterized by a high degree of heterogeneity from climatic, hydrological, geomorphological, cultural, environmental and socio-economic perspectives. More than 500 million people are directly or indirectly dependent upon the Ganges River Basin, which spans China, Nepal, India and Bangladesh. While there are many books covering one aspect of the Ganges, ranging from hydrology to cultural significance, this book is unique in presenting a comprehensive inter-disciplinary overview of the key issues and challenges facing the region. Contributors from the three main riparian nations assess the status and trends of water resources, including the Himalayas, groundwater, pollution, floods, drought and climate change. They describe livelihood systems in the basin, and the social, economic, geopolitical and institutional constraints, including transboundary disputes, to achieving productive, sustainable and equitable water access. Management of the main water-use sectors and their inter-linkages are reviewed, as well as the sustainability and trade-offs in conservation of natural systems and resource development such as for hydropower or agriculture.

This book presents an overview of the hydrometeorological and hydrological studies and assists in tackling challenges posed by climate and land use land cover changes. The Ganga River is one of the major living streams on the planet earth and very important river system in India. This holy river is a lifeline for approximately five hundred million people. In the last few decades, River Ganges has been subjected to tremendous pressures with respect to both water quantity and water quality. This situation, already one of the alarming magnitudes, has been further provoked by hydrometeorological changes resulting in droughts, floods and reduced groundwater levels and river flows in addition to the poor river health. Thus, it is imperative to assess the various complexities and possible solutions for better management of River Ganges. This book is a valuable addition to the literature and contributes to research on River Ganges which will help better planning and management of Ganga river basin. The hydrological and hydrometeorological aspects covered in this book help practitioners, researchers, policymakers and other stakeholders.

The book Ganga: A Scientific Study is based on an Integrated Research Programme carried out by 14 Universities located in the Ganga Basin sponsored and funded by the Envioronment Research Committee and The Ganga Project Directorate, Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India, New Delhi. The Ganga, one of World's major rivers, has been venerated as the holiest and is bound with countless beliefs and faiths especially in India and adjacent countries. Its water has traditionally been regarded as an inexhaustible gift of nature. Recent experiences do not, however, warrant such a complacency. The water resources are strained to a non-sustainable level due to rapid population explosion, urbanisation, development of agriculture, industry, livestock and power production in the Ganga basin. The hydrobiological quality of water has deteriorated and yet no concise, valid supporting evidence was available in a comprehensive manner covering the entire river. This book is an attempt towards this direction. For the first time a picture of the Ganga is available with its physico-chemical and biological charateristics, the severe pollution stress and causes to which its water is subjected to, the contents and quality of water and possible remedial measures. An account of algae including pollution sensitive and tolerant species, besides bio-indicators is available. A possible modelling exercise has also been included. A microbiological assay and the bacteria present in the river water is also given. This book, in short, is a synthesis of what the Ganga is at present in respect of its hydrobiology, pollution load, and some aspects of hydrology.