Why in News?

• The Union Water Ministry has excavated an old, dried-up river in Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad) that linked the Ganga and Yamuna rivers.

About the River:

• The “ancient buried river” is mapped to be around 4 km wide, 45 km long and consisted of a 15-metre-thick layer buried under soil.
• It was a buried paleochannel that joins the Yamuna river about 26 km south of the current Ganga-Yamuna confluence at Prayagraj.
• These paleochannels reveal the course of rivers that have ceased to exist.

Benefits:

• 1. Knowledge on subsurface connectivity might play a very crucial role in planning of Ganga cleaning and protecting safe groundwater resources
• 2. It was also claimed that based on the conclusions on reports and maps of Paleo-channels in north India, it will be useful to map the aquifers (extremely deep stores of groundwater) by the Central Groundwater Board.
• 3. It also helps to develop a potential groundwater recharge source, according to officials at the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), a body under the Union Jal Shakti Ministry that coordinates the cleaning of the Ganga.

About NMCG:

• National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) was registered as a society under the Societies Registration Act 1860.
• It acted as implementation arm of National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) which was constituted under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act (EPA),1986.
• NGRBA has since been dissolved with effect, consequent to constitution of National Council for Rejuvenation, Protection and Management of River Ganga (referred as National Ganga Council).
• Now, NMCG acts as the implementation wing of the National Ganga Council.
  It has a two-tier management structure that comprises of Governing Council and Executive Committee.
• Both of them are headed by Director General (DG), NMCG.

About Paleochannel:

• A palaeochannel is a remnant of an inactive river or stream channel that has been filled or buried by younger sediment. A palaeochannel is distinct from the overbank deposits of currently-active river channels, including ephemeral water courses that do not regularly flow.
• Paleochannels typically act as pathways for groundwater movement and provide a potential source of groundwater. Their presence can be helpful in identifying areas suitable for recharge.