Dnieper

The Dnieper River in Kiev (Ukraine)

Author: Dayanand Deswal (दयानन्द देसवाल)

The Dnieper (नीपर) River is one of the major rivers of East Europe, rising near Smolensk (Russia), and flowing through Belarus and Ukraine, terminating in the Black Sea.

Variants of the name

• Danapris
• Dānu Apara
• Dneper
• Dnyapro
• Dnipro
• Dniepr
• Dnyapro
• Dnyepr

Location and Navigation

Almost 2,000 km of the river is navigational (to the city of Dorogobuzh). The Its reservoirs have large ship locks, allowing vessels of up to 270 by 18 metres to access as far as the port of Kiev, thus creating an important transport corridor. The river is used by passenger vessels as well. Inland cruises on the rivers Danube and Dnieper have been a growing market in recent decades.

Upstream from Kiev, the Dnieper receives the water of the Pripyat River. This navigable river connects to the Dnieper-Bug canal, the link with the Bug River. Historically, a connection with the West European waterways was possible, but a weir without a ship lock near the town of Brest has interrupted this international waterway. Poor political relations between Western Europe and Belarus mean there is little likelihood of re-opening this waterway in the near future.

Navigation is interrupted each year by freezing in winter, and severe winter storms.

Ecology

The Dnieper River is close to the Prydniprovsky Chemical Plant and susceptible to leakages of radioactive waste. The river is also close to the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station (which blasted in 1986 and the entire areas has got heavy, nuclear radiation). It is believed that even today, the waters of Dnieper contain nuclear radiation and thus, unfit for drinking.

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[Category:Europe]]