As far as i know the river Ganges is holy for Indians, right?
So why is nothing done to protect and save the river? The Ganges river is unique in the world for its amazing wildlife. Gharial, Ganges shark, Ganges dolphins.
But nothing is done to protect it. Infact the Ganges river is the most polluted river in the world. The amount of chemicals and garbage pumped into the river reach astounding levels. Scientists say that the collapse of the entire ecosystem is imminent.
Its a proven facts that rivers can be brought back to live. The Rhein in Germany was almost without life in the 70th and today is filled again with salmon and sturgeons.
Why is nothing doen regarding that in India? Are people aware of whats going on and dont care?
Let me try and give you a brief background having trekked a lot in that area.
Geographically speaking, Ganga is a confluence of two main rivers. The Bhagirathi and the Alaknanda. Mythologically speaking, Indians consider the Bhagirathi which starts as Gomukh to be the source, while hydrologically it is the Alaknanda. It is only from Devprayag (Prayag means confluence/joining) that she is called the Ganga.
The headwaters and the other tributaries even today are crystal clear and pristine. The pollution mainly starts hitting the river when it hits the plains. Mainly, human waste and industrial waste. This problem has arisen due to 2 things.
a. Not treating water via sewer treatment plants before release into the river
b. Not enforcing guidelines on industries who release chemicals into the river.
While sewer treatment plants are being added, they are not close to enough considering the amount of waste generated. Remember UP is the most populous state in the country. Civic sense in this state is next to zero.
Not enforcing guidelines on distance from the river and treatment of chemicals has resulted in a disaster. The current government seems to be making the right noise. But I will believe it when they actually do something about it.
How long will it take to revive the river? It will take 10 years to get the water treatment plants in place for civic discharge. It will take a year to kick the butts of the industries to get their act right. Just in Kanpur, Varanasi, Prayag and Lucknow will go a long way. Which means quality of water can improve within 2 years, if the government decides it wants to. But knowing, this is India, give or take a 10 years is what I say.
