The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research–National Geophysical Research Institute (CSIR-NGRI) has made an interesting discovery under the Sangam of rivers Ganga and Yamuna in Prayagraj- there is a 45 km-long river present underneath the Sangam. This could also be a rich source of water and could be connected to the Himalayas, giving credence to the historic belief that there are three rivers meeting at the Sangam- Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati.
In a published paper, the NGRI researchers said, “An airborne electromagnetic study in the Ganga-Yamuna Doab, supplemented with drilling and logging data to address the groundwater crisis, has unravelled exhaustive aquifer information with a discovery of 45-km-long buried river, having dimensions comparable to those of Ganga and Yamuna.”
International peer-review confirms discovery of an ancient waterbody:
International peer-review has confirmed research by NGRI validating the presence of an ancient river, falling within the same region in which the lost river of Saraswati used to flow in the past.
The study titled ‘Airborne Electromagnetic Signatures of Ancient River in the Water-Stressed Ganga Plain, Prayagraj, India: A Potential Groundwater Repository’, was conceptualised and led by NGRI Director Dr Virendra M Tiwari. The study was also published as a research letter in American Geophysical Union (AGU) on December 1.
The study adds credence to the existence of the river Saraswati:
Dr Tiwari said, “Given the depth at which the river was discovered and primary analysis after out drilling process, it seems that the river is likely to be 10 to 12,000 years old. However, only further studies will ascertain its actual age.” The age of the discovered ancient river is in line with the Hindu religious texts and the mention of the river Saraswati in Rig Veda, the Mahabharata, and other Hindu texts.
The researchers involved in the study themselves stated that the location of the discovered ancient river falls within the region where the lost river of Saraswati used to flow in the past. This also adds a clear physical dimension to the Saraswati river.
The study, therefore, confirms that Triveni existed, and Saraswati was never mythical, to begin with. Further research on the Saraswati River will reveal its entire route through the states of Haryana and Rajasthan. Research on this subject had already started in the year 2018, which should add up to the latest discovery in Prayagraj.
The discovery will help in addressing the rapid depletion and deterioration of groundwater in the Ganga River Basin:
The CSIR-NGRI study was originally focused on finding a solution to the rapid depletion and deterioration of groundwater in the Ganga River Basin. The researchers also said that “3D structural mapping of the relict signatures of the past imprint, specially meandering channels buried under soil cover in the current landscape and its linkages with other hydrogeological features that influence the hydrodynamic process” are important and relevant in this age.
The researchers are looking at such techniques to address the depleting and deteriorating groundwater resources in the country, instead of traditional and expensive methods like sediment coring. The discovery of the ancient Saraswati river thus not only validates the ancient Hindu philosophy and beliefs but also opens up the possibilities of addressing contemporary issues like water scarcity and depleting groundwater levels in Northern Indian plains.
The latest CSIR-NGRI study is a path-breaking revelation that reasserts India’s Triveni and Saraswati Sindhu civilisation, and also promises to solve the groundwater depletion crisis in parts of the country.