If I had to describe a River till a few years back, it was mainly a sandy path in which some amount of water flows or not - depending on the season. Those like me, who have known rivers while living in semi-arid regions may find this description of river quite acceptable. I was neither a great student in school days (I had preserved my brain to be used for later years in life, you know.) nor particularly interested in geography. Still, there was one thing that I remembered - textbook said Ganga never dries up. It was unbelievable amazing thing. Since last few years, being close to Ganga now, this is simple given fact and nothing amazing about it anymore.
Three years back my geography knowledge increased a bit further. that year, Ganga started swelling in a manner I had not seen before. Each morning to evening and evening to morning, it kept swelling. and then, it was overflowing! It was 'flood' to me. My ignorance got support of wonderful media we have and I would have stopped at concluding that it was Flood in a sense of being negative excess which is cause of destruction. In other words, the river was crossing its boundary and occupying space that belonged to land creatures - mainly humans. Fortunately however my schooldays decision to keep brain safe for future use came to rescue and I learned words like Active floodplain and River space. It was also interesting to see India in yet another way - how different areas affect each other based on River basins they belong to. I read then that Ganga, on an average occupies its near full space every 2-3 years.
Three years down the line, couple of weeks back, the river was again nearer than usual. I too walked remaining distance. Found Kites and Herons where I usually photograph other birds.
Three years down the line, couple of weeks back, the river was again nearer than usual. I too walked remaining distance. Found Kites and Herons where I usually photograph other birds.
Some old shots of other birds photographed at same place.
