Ganga-Between Faith And Filth

Worshipped by the billions and water source for 400 billions- a race to save the "Mother Ganges"

India's holy Ganges begins as a crystal clear River high in the icy mountains of Himalayas but pollution and excessive usage of toxics and industrial waste that are dumped on the regular basis in the river has another story to tell.

A 2525 km long river, home to over 140 fish species, 90 amphibians species and the endangered Ganges River Dolphin and a river which meets life.

But the question still remains unanswered about how the Ganges got this polluted ?

So, pretty much the answer is same that it is all man-made as we all keep on doing our bit of polluting it without realising what consequences we are building .So here’s the story of what happens:-

Ganges snakes its way down to the densely populated plains of north India, eventually forming a huge delta with the Brahmaputra River and emptying into the Bay of Bengal.The river and it’s tributaries are the vital source of living for hundreds of millions of people.

At other points along the river, industrial waste and sewage pours in from open drains, turning the river red in some places, while clouds of toxic foam float on the surface in others.

Hinduism’s most sacred river and the faithful also believe that bathing in the waters can absolve people of their sins, but unfortunately we have reached to this peak that reports show that it is not evenfit for 'bathing'.

The next level of concern goes to the fact that what steps has government taken in order to control the situation?

Government has launched Namami Gange programme which is an integrated mission for Ganga rejuvenation. The Namami Gange Mission aims at providing comprehensive and sustainable solutions for major pollution hot spots along the stretch of 97 towns and 4,465 villages on the Ganga stem.

This mission is not only constructing new infrastructures but also rehabilitating the old and dilapidated Sewage Treatment Plant (STPs) as well as ensuring Operation and Maintenance (O & M) of all assets hence created.

In Namami Gange programme, a total of 289 projects have so far been sanctioned at a cost of Rs 28,377 crore out of which 87 projects have been completed.

Also, Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has announced that his government intends to completely stop the release of raw sewerage by 2022. He also promised to make the whole river suitable for religious rituals by the end of 2019.

But even after all these investments if it is being cleaned quickly like in 2-3 years the major challenge is to keep it clean.Here comes our responsibility as public participation in rejuvenating the nation's sacred asset which can do wonders. The common as well corporate sector need to contribute to achieve the task in hand.

Let's create a better standard of living for us and the next generation to come by standing united and doing a few necessary environment friendly changes in our lifestyles.