That's because the people who dump the sewage into the river don't care about those who bathe in it. It's as simple as that.
classic Indian mentality..."Im going to get whats mine, everyone else be damned." Then again there is only so much a poor river can take.
Ganga receding from ghats worries devotees :bash:
KANPUR: A large number of devotees from near and far had arrived at the ghats of Ganga on Monday to take a dip into the holy river on the occasion of Ganga Dussehra. But, it was a disappointing sight that awaited the devotees -- the river waters have receded a considerable distance away from the ghats. It was ironical that the day celebrated for the descent of the river on earth found it shrinking into oblivion again.
In what is being seen as the result of exploitation of the Ganga, the holy river has receded from majority of the Ghats, while changing its usual course. A visit to various ghats of the city revealed that the river span has either reduced to a drain, or completely dried up with formation of sand beds in its place.
At some of the ghats, the Ganga has shrunk into a `nullah', with algae on the water surface and the water body turning into a breeding ground for the mosquitoes.
Concerned over the present condition of the holy river, Devendra Agarwal, one of the devotees at Parmat Ghat said, "Is it the same river which used to be known for its purity.
Its water has turned dark, it has receded from the ghats, the sand beds which used to form at the other side of the river banks, have started appearing at the ghats. Ganga has never been in such a bad shape for the past so many summers."
Even though lakhs have been spent on the beautification of the ghats, but with the Ganga missing from the banks, they too seemed to have lost their charm. As a result, the ghats wore a deserted look on Ganga Dussehra. While most of the visitors gave up on the idea of taking a dip, a few bravehearts covered the distance on foot.
Another devotee, Amit Saxena, who had to walk half-a-kilometre in scorching heat to reach the banks of the Ganga at Massacre Ghat said, "It is a pity that today we are in dire need of many Bhagiraths to save our holy river, Ganga. Is it for this day that we had come to vouch for the presence of the Ganga on Earth."
A 68 years old, Ganga Ram, who was found watering the crop on the sand beds at Massacre Ghat, said, "It is for the first in several years that `Maa Ganga' has shifted so far away from the ghats.''
It is not just receding of the river water but the change of course of the river that has thrown a bigger challenge to the authorities, who have already been struggling to control pollution in the river water.
It was a paradox to watch devotees offer `aartis' and seek the blessings of the river at a time when pollution and decreasing water level may end the river's existence altogether.
What is Ganga Dussehra?
Ganga Dussehra is believed to be the day when King Bhagirath had brought the sacred Ganga on this Earth. "The day is extremely significant, as it marks to be the beginning of the 10-day celebrations at the banks of the river. During this period, special `aartis' and `pujas' are organised and people seek the river's blessings," explained a city based astrologer, Aaadietya Pandey.
Depleting level of Ganga
The formation of sand beds and the drying up of the river has been reported following the depleting water level of the Ganga. In a span of two months, the level of Ganga has reduced by a foot.
From 357 ft and 7 inches in the month of April, the level of Ganga has reached 356 ft and 8 inches in the month of June. Breaking the record of the past two years, the water level of Ganga has recorded the lowest figure so far. Significantly, in 2009 and 2008 it recorded a level of 358 feet and 4 inches. Whereas, in 2007 the water level was 360 ft.
"Starting from the last year, the river started receding from the ghats as it changed its course towards Unnao district," said N M Chawdhary, executive engineer, Jal Sansthan.
However, the changing of the river course coupled with the river banks receding has alarmed the officials as the decreasing water level has started affecting the working of the pumping station.
Notably, the experts have claimed over-withdrawal of water from the river to be the prime reason for its shift.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...hats-worries-devotees/articleshow/6072207.cms
Himalayan rivers to dry up within 20 yrs: report
Singapore: Himalayan river basins in China, Bangladesh, India and Nepal will face a massive water depletion within 20 years, leading to a decline in food and mass migration, a research group warned on Monday.
Due to natural reasons like glacial melting, the four countries would lose almost 275 billion cubic metres of annual renewable water in the next two decades, more than the total amount of available water in Nepal at present, India-based Strategic Foresight Group said in a report.
"What we are looking at here is a major catastrophe ... going to happen in 20, 25 years," the group's president, Sundeep Waslekar, told a seminar at the Singapore International Water Week.
Water scarcity and effects like desertification and soil erosion would bring rice and wheat yields in China and India down by as much as 50 per cent by 2050, the report said.
"China and India alone will need to import more than 200 to 300 million tonnes of wheat and rice," it said.
"This will create a havoc in the global food market ... for people everywhere, because the prices will go up substantially," Waslekar said.
Water depletion in the river basins would displace millions of people in the four countries by 2050, he said.
"We are looking towards a disaster of more than 100 million migrants," he said, "and conflicts within and between countries."
The report called for more cooperation between the four nations in the management of the river basins.
The basins of the rivers, including the Yellow River and the Yangtze in China and the Ganges in India, are home to 1.3 billion people.
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/himalayan-rivers-to-dry-up-within-20-yrs-report/125476-3.html
