is ganga really sacred..?

8/7/2019 Is Ganga really sacred..?

1/16

ISIS GANGAGANGA REALLYREALLY

SACREDSACRED .. ?.. ?

PRESENTATION BY :PRESENTATION BY :

DEEPAK MALHOTRADEEPAK MALHOTRA

10PGDM03410PGDM034


2/16

"The Ganga, especially, is the river of India, beloved of her people, round which are

intertwined her memories, her hopes and fears, her songs of triumph, her victories andher defeats. She has been a symbol of India's age-long culture and civilization, everchanging, ever flowing, and yet ever the same Ganga."

- Jawaharlal Nehru, First Prime Minister of India, born in Allahabad on the Ganges

Many Hindus believe life is incomplete without taking a bath in the Ganges at

least once in their lives.

Many families keep a vial of water from the Ganges in their house. This is done

because it is auspicious to have water of the Holy Ganges in the house, and also

so that if someone is dying, that person will be able to drink its water.

Many Hindus believe that the water from the Ganges can cleanse a person's soulof all past sins, and that it can also cure the ill.

It is believed, a fact which has also been observed, that the water of Ganga

never decays even for months and years when water of other rivers and agencies

begins to develop bacteria and fungi within a couple of days. This self-

purification characteristics of Ganga is the key to the holiness and sanctity of itswater.


3/16

SOME FACTS WORTH MENTIONINGSOME FACTS WORTH MENTIONING --

In 2001, some 20 million bathed in Ganges at Allahabad, on the auspicious festival

KUMBH MELA .

The Ganges River has been considered one of the dirtiest rivers in the world.

"More than 400 million people live along the Ganges River. An estimated 60,000

persons ritually bathe daily in the river, which is considered holy by Indians.

A UN Climate Report issued in 2007 indicates that the Himalayan glaciers that

feed the Ganges may disappear by 2030, after which the river's flow would be a

seasonal occurrence resulting from monsoons. The Ganges river dolphin is an endangered species as a result of a number of

factors. There are only approximately 4000 - 6000 individuals left.


4/16

Ganges polluted to septic levels - www.merinews.com

India Struggles to Clean Sacred Ganges River www.voanews.com

Ganges sounds like a disease Fox News Channel criticizes the

holy river Ganges

Ganga - The World's Dirty Rivers www.Time.com

The World Health Organization describes the river as an

"environmental hazard".

Sacred Ganges Carries Toxic Pollution- Environmental law

alliance worldwide

SOME OF THE NEWS RELATED TO GANGESSOME OF THE NEWS RELATED TO GANGES


5/16

S O U R C E SS O U R C E S

C O N T R I B U T I N GC O N T R I B U T I N G

F O R P O L L U T I O NF O R P O L L U T I O N

Cremated

BodiesIndustries

SewageHuman

Beliefs


6/16

BIG AND SMALL INDUSTRIESBIG AND SMALL INDUSTRIES --

In the past 50 years, thousands of industries have been built along the GangesIn the past 50 years, thousands of industries have been built along the GangesRiver.River.

InIn 1995 the Central Pollution Control board (CPCB) listed1995 the Central Pollution Control board (CPCB) listed 191 polluting industries191 polluting industries

in the state of Uttar Pradesh ( Out of these Industrial setup, about 66 industriesin the state of Uttar Pradesh ( Out of these Industrial setup, about 66 industries

are in itself located at Kanpur ),are in itself located at Kanpur ), 66 in the state of Bihar, andin the state of Bihar, and 6767 in West Bengal.in West Bengal.

These industries were found to be discharging toxicThese industries were found to be discharging toxic substances withsubstances with BODBOD

(biological oxygen demand) concentrations of more than 100 milligrams per(biological oxygen demand) concentrations of more than 100 milligrams perliterliter..

TheThe major polluting industry along the Ganges is the leather industrymajor polluting industry along the Ganges is the leather industry

especially nearespecially near Kanpur, from which Chromium and other chemicals leak into theKanpur, from which Chromium and other chemicals leak into the

river.river.

The river basin has sugar and paper mills, cloth, woolen, cotton and rayon mills,The river basin has sugar and paper mills, cloth, woolen, cotton and rayon mills,battery industries, thermal powerhouses, distilleris and fertilizer corporations.battery industries, thermal powerhouses, distilleris and fertilizer corporations.

Heavy metals such as cadmium, zinc, nickel, lead, chromium and copper areHeavy metals such as cadmium, zinc, nickel, lead, chromium and copper are

concentrated in the river water and the sediments.concentrated in the river water and the sediments.


7/16

Nearly 89 million litres of sewage is daily disposed into Gangafrom the 12 municipal towns that fall along its route till Haridwar.

The amount of sewage disposed into the river increases during

the Char Dham Yatra season when nearly 15 lakh pilgrims visit

the state between May and October each year. Among the most

polluting industries on the Ganges, are the tanneries, especially

near Kanpur, which empty toxic chrome into the river.

According to the Ganges pollution control unit of Uttarakhand

Peyjal Nigam, Haridwar alone accounts for 37.36 million litres of

the sewage that goes directly to the Ganges without gettingtreated in any plant.

An estimate says that during its 2510 kilometer-long course from

Gaumukh till Bay of Bengal nearly 1 billion litres of untreated

sewage gets disposed into the river.

SEWAGESEWAGE --


8/16

CrematedBodiesCrematedBodies --

Inadequate cremation procedures result in partially burnt orunburnt corpses floating in the river.

Sometimes a dead animal could be seen floating around in the

river.


9/16

HUMANs and theirHUMANs and theirBELIEFSBELIEFS --

Pollution in the Ganges River occurs daily when civilians from all over come toPollution in the Ganges River occurs daily when civilians from all over come to

bath in the most sacred river inbath in the most sacred river in India, andIndia, and Because the river is known as a sacredBecause the river is known as a sacred

healing body of water, people who have sicknesses and diseases bathe themselveshealing body of water, people who have sicknesses and diseases bathe themselves

hoping that it will cure them. Others who go into the polluted river do it becausehoping that it will cure them. Others who go into the polluted river do it because

of tradition, especially Hindu priests.of tradition, especially Hindu priests. ......

The main source of the pollutants is the 29 cities (with population over100,000), 70 towns and thousands of villages along the banks of the Ganges,

about 400 million people- almost one-third of the country's population- live in

the Ganges river basin and very little of the sewage produced by these people

and by the industries and 29 large cities in the basin, is treated.


10/16

DISEASES CAUSED BYGANGESDISEASES CAUSED BYGANGES --

Every year millions of Indians are affected by waterborne diseases likediarrhea, viral hepatitis, dysentery, typhoid, cholera and gastroenteritis.

People are blinded by trachcoma because they can't bathe in clean water.

This is a human disaster for India and the world.

According to the World Health Organization, 80 per cent of all health

problems in India and one-third of all deaths are said to be attributed toGanga . River contamination leaches into the ground water system, affecting

water supplies and agriculture.

Along the 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) stretch of terraced bathing ghats in the

holy city of Varanasi, the water of the Ganges is a "brown soup of excrement

and industrial effluents." The water there contains 60,000 faecal coliform

bacteria per 100 ml, 120 times the official limit of 500 faecal coliforms/100mlthat is not considered safe for bathing.

Researchers in conjunction with Indian government labs took samples of the

water for testing purposes. E.Coli bacteria was found. This bacteria is

responsible for various illness including causing kidney failure, dysentery,

food poisoning, and in certain extreme cases, it could also lead to death.


11/16

Initiatives seeks to protect riverInitiatives seeks to protect river --

In December 2009 the World Bank agreed to loan India US$1 billion

over the next five years to clean up the Ganges. Sankat Mochan Foundation (SMF) is a non-governmental

organization devoted to cleaning the pollution of the Ganges and

protecting the Ganges river in India. The environmental mission is

related to the religious mission of Sankat Mochan Temple and Veer

Bhadra Mishra is manager of both organizations. SMF runs theSwatcha Ganga (Clean Ganges) program, and so SMF is sometimes

referred to as "Swatcha Ganga.

In the year 2004 'Clean Ganga - Clean Ghat' exhibition project wasimplemented with the support of the British High Commission

that is organized at New Delhi.

The Clean Ganga Campaign has been launched to keep the river

Ganga clean and pollution free, however its an awareness campaign.

Initial effort to clean the river included construction of water

treatment plants, but it was bedeviled by power shortages andother roblems.


12/16


13/16

Some are unrealistic about current state ofriverSome are unrealistic about current state ofriver --

Many people are not interested in scientific arguments. For them, the Ganges - the

Mother River - can never be spoiled, no matter what mixes in its waters.

"For All Indian people, Ganga is very holy. No Indian people, feel that Ganga is dirty.

People take the plastic, the paper, everything but Ganga is really not dirty for

them."

As the sun sets at the end of each day, thousands gather along the Ganges to give

thanks to the waters.

The rituals are key to daily life at Varanasi. For officials the challenge lies in finding

ways to cleanse the river, even as communities depend on it for water and economic

growth, and as millions of the faithful come to its banks each year in the pursuit of

spiritual cleansing.


14/16

So, what can be done in order to cure this pollutedSo, what can be done in order to cure this polluted riverriver ??

Science and religion have to mesh, if the Ganges is to be saved. The

Western approach, based on fear of a possible ecological disaster,

will not work. If you go to people who have a living relationship with

Ganga and you say, Ganga is polluted, the water is dirty, they will say

Stop saying that. Ganga is not polluted. You are abusing the river.

But if you say Ganga is our mother. Come and see what is beingthrown on the body of your mother of sewage and filth. Should we

tolerate sewage being smeared on the body of our mother and you

will get a very different reaction, and you can harness that energy."

-> While this may not reduce the already existing pollution, it will

definitely ensure that no more waste is added to the polluted waters.

->Polluted or not, the Holy Ganges is a place where people will

continue to visit, due to the religious significance attached to it. Its

critical that authorities take action now, or the condition is only goingto worsen.


15/16


16/16

is ganga really sacred..?

Documents