Ganga tu le chaltimrut prt, dene unhe moksha,

Parantu aaj teri dasha hi us mrut prt bhanti bani hai,

Sab ko moksha dilanewali, aaj khud hi narak mai!
You dont need to be a poet to pen this line. You dont even need to be an environmentalist to pen
this line. I am neither, and still managed to pen this down. We read the pathetic and rued
condition of the great Ganga, which is apparently sacred now, for many!!
Ganga has an emphatic presence in the Indian history. A dip in this river is sacred and it unmounts all the bad and unwarranted deals you have committed in your life time. Every Hindu
whose ashes are released in the Ganga; they are assured of moksha. Even though 80 percent of
Indias population is Hindus, why is the state of the Ganga such? Why do such few people take
part in save Ganga projects?
Lets keep aside the religious beliefs for a moment and turn our attention to the fact that the
excessive pollution in the river has had consequences. Not to mention that the government is
keen to divert Gangas tributaries and build dams to quench their thirst of power supply. If the
number of dams that were going to be built were within acceptable limits, no one would have any
objections with governments intentions; unfortunately the number is too far from acceptable
units,Its 300 dams!
The flora and fauna will die completely. The Ganga will be forced to choose her course through
artificial reservoirs and a nexus of tunnels. The woes of the poor river continue as almost 300
crore litres of untreated waste is discharged in the Ganga. Most of this waste is leftover foods and
plastics thrown by the same devotees who come to purify themselves. Not to mention that a
sizable proportion of the effluents in the Ganga are caused by this population through domestic
usage like bathing, laundry and public defecation.
The Ganga tolerated this pollution for a long time and in the end, it was time for pay back. She
couldnt hold the pain anymore and it was time for her to make others feel the same pain. How
did the once-upon-a-time patient and tolerant Ganga turn ruthless? The answer lies in deep
analysis.
The Ganga flows across 2,525 km (1,569 mi). It is the longest river in India and ranks among the
worlds top 20 rivers because of the amount of water it carries. The Ganga basin is the most
heavily populated river basin in the world, with over 400 million people directly coming in contact.
So, when such a huge population depends on the river, its obvious that water borne diseases will

follow. The use of the river for bathing, laundry, washing utensils, and brushing teeth only add to
those diseases. Exposure factors such as washing clothes, bathing and lack of sewerage, toilets
at residence, children defecating outdoors, poor sanitation, low income and low education levels
also showed significant associations with enteric disease outcome. Water in the Ganga has been
correlated to causing dysentery, cholera, hepatitis, as well as severe diarrhea, all diseases which
continue to be one of the leading causes of death of children in India.
Every time I try to refrain from blaming the government for this fiasco but the statistics dont allow
me to do so.
In 1985, the Rajiv Gandhi government initiated GAP, the Ganga Action Plan to reduce the
pollution in the Ganga. From then, till 2000, it has managed to do nothing despite spending
901,71 crore rupees. Fortunate or unfortunate, the GAP was aborted in 2000.
Agreed that the onus of keeping the Ganga clean and free from pollution lies in the hands of the
huge masses who revere her, but the policy makers that have the power to create and enact laws
could have done lots more to mollify the loss incurred to the environment.
Another step to uphold the sanctity of the Ganga was the National River Ganga Basin Authority
(NRGBA) which was established by the Central Government of India, on 20 February 2009 under
Section 3(3) of the Environment Protection Act, 1986. It also declared the Ganga as the National
River of India. The chair includes the Prime Minister of India and the Chief Ministers of states
through which the Ganga flows.
The fertile basin of the Ganga is the biggest natural resource in India. Lets preserve it. Lets not
pollute it. I havent seen the beauty of the Ganga because I live in Mumbai, but know the value
and sacredness of this river when someone visits Haridwar or Kashi and gets a small cup of
water for my family. I regret not having seen it. But before I am able to see the beauty, it shouldnt
vanish. Its my sincere request to all those living in the shadow of the Ganga to help me witness
its lost beauty, by restoring it.