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Ganga
The Ganga rises in Gomukh in the Himalayas and as it flows through the mountains it is fed by many tributaries. In Devaprayag, the combined waters of the Mandakini and the Alakananda, which have their sources in Kedarnath and Badrinath respectively, pour into the Ganga. It emerges from the mountain region in Hrishikesh and flows to the plains from Hardwar onward. There are many important cities which lie on its banks, Allahabad, Varanasi, and Patna to name a few of them. From the mountain to the sea, its length is about 2500 km and it is the lifeline of millions of people who live on its banks and depend on its water for their daily needs. But over the years, it has been extensively polluted and the water quality has deteriorated. Despite its importance, the Ganga is one of the most highly polluted rivers with sewage and industrial waste flowing into it from the cities lying along its route. Most cities do not have sewage treatment plants and those that do have them can handle only part of the waste water. Millions of tonnes of untreated sewage is dumped daily into the river along with bodies and ash from cremations. Bathing along the banks of the river also contributes to the pollution. Industrial units which lie along the banks of the river, deforestation in the catchment areas, and surface run-off from cultivated land where extensive chemical fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides are used, also cause pollution in the river. Realizing the magnitude of the problem, the Government of India launched the Ganga Action Plan in 1985 to clean this holy river. This was the first time that the problem of water pollution was being tackled at a national level with interest being shown by all. Though there has been some change in the water quality of the river since this programme began, it is not noticeable to a layman. The improvement is very marginal and is far below the expected rate. This has been attributed to corruption and to the vested interests of certain groups of people. Work on this project is still under way and it is yet to be seen whether they will be able to achieve their target.
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According to Hindu mythology, Ganga came down to
earth due to the intense devotion shown by Bhagirath, the grandson of King Anshuman, who
convinced Brahma to release the river. He led her to the sea, in the process purifying the
souls of his 6000 great granduncles. This river valley is considered the cradle of Hindu
mythology.