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Millions at risk in India's holy river of disease
DAVID ORR
IN DELHI
MILLIONS of Hindus are expected to plunge into the Ganges today, one of their holiest dates of the year.
But rather than purifying themselves, the huge number of devotees are putting their health at risk because the river has become a sewer of untreated human waste.
"The levels of sewage in the river are very high at the moment and pose a serious health hazard," said Dr Veer Bhadra Mishra, a hydraulics engineer named among Time magazine's 'heroes of the planet' for his crusade to clean up the Ganges. "Unless something is done urgently, the very faith and culture of this country is in danger."
Today is Makar Sankranti, part of the six-week long Ardh Kumbh Mela festival.
A 'holy dip' is believed by Hindus to wash away a person's sins, bringing him or her nearer to a state of nirvana. So alarmed have some become at the state of the Ganges that dozens of sadhus, or holy men, threatened to commit suicide ahead of today's bathing ritual unless the waters were treated.
Last week, hundreds of labourers were clearing refuse from the main bathing area and the authorities released fresh water from upstream barrages in an effort to dilute the contaminated water. But it is feared these measures will have minimum impact, particularly in the area of the Sangam - the holiest bathing spot formed by the confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati river just outside the northern city of Allahabad.
In tests on water drawn from the Sangam area, Mishra discovered levels of fecal coliform bacteria thousands of times higher than those considered safe for bathing.
"The levels were incredibly high," said Mishra, "and they are mainly due to the huge volumes of domestic sewage that flow straight into the river. By going into this water, people are risking jaundice, scabies, typhoid and other water-borne diseases."
Some 350 million Indians - almost one of every 14 people in the world - live on the banks of the Ganga, as Hindus call the river. The lack of proper sanitation and sewage treatment facilities means that as much as one billion litres of mostly untreated raw human waste enters the river every day.
Industrial effluent adds to the problem. The major polluting industry along the Ganges is the leather industry in the city of Kanpur. Hazardous waste dumped into the water include hydrochloric acid, chromium, mercury, bleaches and dyes.
There is also a huge run-off from chemical fertilisers and pesticides into the river.
India's environment minister, Thiru Raja, has announced that more than 200 factories had been closed and another 600 served notice for failing to install environmental safeguards. He said that about ã150m had already been spent on trying to clean up the Ganges, but admitted that little progress had been made. The minister estimated it would take as much as $1.5bn to do the job properly.
The Ganga Action Plan, an Indian government river cleansing project set up in 1985 with British and Dutch support, is widely seen to have failed.
Despite the construction of several waste treatment facilities, the scheme has been hampered by mismanagement and misdirection of funds. Critics also point to a gross miscalculation of the volume of waste from the one million plus inhabitants of Varanasi. Two government-built water treatment plants in the city have failed to function properly due to high maintenance costs and power cuts.
"A huge amount of sewage treatment infrastructure was created, but it was badly planned and the equipment has been poorly maintained," said Suresh Babu of the Centre for Science and the Environment. "All this money has been spent but most of it has been poured down the drain."
The organisers of the Ardh Kumbh Mela are playing down the pollution risks.
They have assured pilgrims that the water will be fit for bathing.
A total of 60 million Indians and foreigners are expected to attend this year's Ardh Kumbh - as many people as the population of the UK.
Many remain unconvinced at claims there is no health risk. One holy man, Hari Chaitanaya Brahmachari, has filed a complaint in court against the Indian government for not taking better care of the Ganges.
He said he would commit 'jal samadhi' (ritual suicide) if it were not cleaned up.
Divine day
The day of Makar Sankranti holds a special place in the Hindu calendar as it is believed to mark the beginning of the sun's journey to the northern hemisphere.
According to Hindu mythology, gods and demons fought a celestial war over a pitcher of divine nectar. Allahabad is one of four sites where drops of nectar are said to have fallen during the battle. The Kumbh Mela (Pitcher Festival) is celebrated every 12 years, while the Ardh Kumbh (Half Pitcher) takes places every six years.
This article: http://news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=70042007
DAVID ORR
IN DELHI
MILLIONS of Hindus are expected to plunge into the Ganges today, one of their holiest dates of the year.
But rather than purifying themselves, the huge number of devotees are putting their health at risk because the river has become a sewer of untreated human waste.
"The levels of sewage in the river are very high at the moment and pose a serious health hazard," said Dr Veer Bhadra Mishra, a hydraulics engineer named among Time magazine's 'heroes of the planet' for his crusade to clean up the Ganges. "Unless something is done urgently, the very faith and culture of this country is in danger."
Today is Makar Sankranti, part of the six-week long Ardh Kumbh Mela festival.
A 'holy dip' is believed by Hindus to wash away a person's sins, bringing him or her nearer to a state of nirvana. So alarmed have some become at the state of the Ganges that dozens of sadhus, or holy men, threatened to commit suicide ahead of today's bathing ritual unless the waters were treated.
Last week, hundreds of labourers were clearing refuse from the main bathing area and the authorities released fresh water from upstream barrages in an effort to dilute the contaminated water. But it is feared these measures will have minimum impact, particularly in the area of the Sangam - the holiest bathing spot formed by the confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati river just outside the northern city of Allahabad.
In tests on water drawn from the Sangam area, Mishra discovered levels of fecal coliform bacteria thousands of times higher than those considered safe for bathing.
"The levels were incredibly high," said Mishra, "and they are mainly due to the huge volumes of domestic sewage that flow straight into the river. By going into this water, people are risking jaundice, scabies, typhoid and other water-borne diseases."
Some 350 million Indians - almost one of every 14 people in the world - live on the banks of the Ganga, as Hindus call the river. The lack of proper sanitation and sewage treatment facilities means that as much as one billion litres of mostly untreated raw human waste enters the river every day.
Industrial effluent adds to the problem. The major polluting industry along the Ganges is the leather industry in the city of Kanpur. Hazardous waste dumped into the water include hydrochloric acid, chromium, mercury, bleaches and dyes.
There is also a huge run-off from chemical fertilisers and pesticides into the river.
India's environment minister, Thiru Raja, has announced that more than 200 factories had been closed and another 600 served notice for failing to install environmental safeguards. He said that about ã150m had already been spent on trying to clean up the Ganges, but admitted that little progress had been made. The minister estimated it would take as much as $1.5bn to do the job properly.
The Ganga Action Plan, an Indian government river cleansing project set up in 1985 with British and Dutch support, is widely seen to have failed.
Despite the construction of several waste treatment facilities, the scheme has been hampered by mismanagement and misdirection of funds. Critics also point to a gross miscalculation of the volume of waste from the one million plus inhabitants of Varanasi. Two government-built water treatment plants in the city have failed to function properly due to high maintenance costs and power cuts.
"A huge amount of sewage treatment infrastructure was created, but it was badly planned and the equipment has been poorly maintained," said Suresh Babu of the Centre for Science and the Environment. "All this money has been spent but most of it has been poured down the drain."
The organisers of the Ardh Kumbh Mela are playing down the pollution risks.
They have assured pilgrims that the water will be fit for bathing.
A total of 60 million Indians and foreigners are expected to attend this year's Ardh Kumbh - as many people as the population of the UK.
Many remain unconvinced at claims there is no health risk. One holy man, Hari Chaitanaya Brahmachari, has filed a complaint in court against the Indian government for not taking better care of the Ganges.
He said he would commit 'jal samadhi' (ritual suicide) if it were not cleaned up.
Divine day
The day of Makar Sankranti holds a special place in the Hindu calendar as it is believed to mark the beginning of the sun's journey to the northern hemisphere.
According to Hindu mythology, gods and demons fought a celestial war over a pitcher of divine nectar. Allahabad is one of four sites where drops of nectar are said to have fallen during the battle. The Kumbh Mela (Pitcher Festival) is celebrated every 12 years, while the Ardh Kumbh (Half Pitcher) takes places every six years.
This article: http://news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=70042007
