Rivers of India

That water is closely related to the development of human civilization is a well-known fact. The assumption that human civilization developed initially in the river valleys holds true not only for India but also for those countries of the world, which too have been the seat of ancient civilization. As a result, the ancient civilizations became known by the name of the rivers which flowed past them: like the Nile river civilization, Indus valley civilization etc.

Mankind acutely needs water to survive. This is the reason why almost all the major cities of the world were located and developed on the banks of rivers or sea-shores. For example, London on the river Thames, Paris on river Seine, Moscow on river Moscova and Cairo on the river Nile. In our own country, Varanasi, the oldest centre of pilgrimage is located on the banks of the river Ganga, the National Capital Delhi, on the banks of the river Yamuna and Vijaywada on the river Krishna.

In a country with a glorious tradition like India, the close relationship of the rivers with the lives of the people, manifests itself in many forms. Here, chanting the names of the five rivers while bathing and eulogizing the glory of water itself, has been a part of the Indian tradition. This underlines the importance of the water resources and rivers in India. While discussing the water resources in India, it is generally assumed that in a country like India, with a tropical monsoon type of climate, water is available in abundance. But this is a wrong notion.

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