CSIR-NGRI identifies 200km-long underground palaeo-channel between Prayagraj and Kanpur

Exam-focused facts from the 17 May 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Geophysical Research Institute (CSIR-NGRI) identified a palaeo-channel approximately 200 km long stretching from Prayagraj to Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh.
The underground channel is 4 to 5 kilometres wide and buried 10 to 15 metres below the surface in the Ganga-Yamuna Doab.
The discovery was made using heliborne transient electromagnetic technology (H-TEM) and confirmatory drilling.
A tripartite agreement between the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), and CSIR-NGRI led to the detailed survey from Kaushambi to Kanpur.
The palaeo-channel can act as a massive natural aquifer, with six sites identified between Prayagraj and Kanpur for managed aquifer recharge.