The Ganga River, also called the Ganga River, is located in northern India and later becomes the border between India and Bangladesh. This river is the largest river in India. India is home to more than 1.2 billion people belonging to many types of religions. Bangladesh is home to more than 154.7 million people, mostly Muslims. The river originates in the Himalayan mountains and flows into the Bay of Bengal. The Ganges River is approximately 1,560 miles or 2,510 km long and has an average depth of 52 feet or 16 meters. The Ganges basin has more people than any other river basin. The basin's population is around 400 million and covers parts of India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China. The photo on the right shows the Ganges basin and its tributaries, including the Yamuna River, the Son River, the Mahananda River and the Koshi River. The Yamuna, Son and Mahananda rivers are the major tributaries on the right side and the Koshi river is a major tributary on the left side. Due to climate change, the Ganges in places like Varanasi has become much shallower than in the past. The Ganges is considered one of the most polluted rivers in the world. Almost every day, approximately 264 million gallons of waste are dumped into the river. Over the next 20 years, this amount of waste is expected to increase by at least 100%. Pollution of the Ganges comes from both human and industrial waste. The majority of industrial waste comes from leather factories located on the banks of the Ganga River. In addition to waste, the river is full of offerings to the Ganges. These offerings may be food or other items. The World Health Organization has said water pollution levels are more than 3,000 times the safe level. Water from the Ganges River...... middle of paper ......is sent to the desiccated and sick in the hope of helping them. Water is also used in certain rituals such as a wedding. The Ganges River is home to 140 species of fish, 90 species of amphibians and 5 species of birds found only around the Ganges. Wildlife is affected by the pollution of the Ganges. There are only about 1,500 GangesPhotographer: Gayle HutcherDolphin's left. The dead dolphins were examined and found to have traces of butyltin and organochlorines from river waste in their bodies. They are losing their habitat due to the proliferation of dams and irrigation systems built around and on the river. These dolphins were once found in large groups or schools, but are now only found singly or in pairs. Overall, the Ganges is a very important river for millions of people and mistreatment causes the river to “death”.”.