New Delhi, Aug. 24 -- The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has initiated suo motu proceedings on the basis of a published report highlighting an IIT-Roorkee study which finds that groundwater, and not glacier melt, sustains the Ganga's summer flow, particularly beyond the Himalayan foothills up to Patna.

A bench comprising Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, Expert Member Dr. A. Senthil Vel, and Expert Member Dr. Prashant Gargava took cognisance of the issue during the hearing held on August 20.

According to the study, isotope analysis of the Ganga and its tributaries shows that glacier melt contributes minimally to the river's discharge once it enters the plains. Instead, groundwater plays the dominant role, enhancing the river's vol...