Ganges remains no more healthy to bath.
Millions of people go to Haridwar for a holy dip in Ganges every year from all over the world. This holy dip was not only for religious but for other reasons also as not every one knows that water of Ganges ever stales and is potable forever. Now the scientists have found some disturbing facts about the water of Ganges, which tell us that the water is, too polluted now, that bathing might cause serious trouble to our health.
The controlling officers of the pollution board of Ganges have admitted this publicly that about two MLD (million liters daily) untreated water is getting mixed from different sources in to the river which is causing serious water pollution and making situation worse.
Different scientific surveys have revealed that Ganges have been seriously affected with the kind of pollution which does not allow human to take a holy dip, leave apart drinking its water. This is about the water of a river, which is, considered never staling even if kept for ages. As per the standards, the water for bathing should not have 500 fecal/100ml where as the level of the same was, found more than 1500 fecal coliform at Har ki pouri, the main bathing-point where people go and take holy bath and pay their respect to mother Ganges. Moreover, this is happening despite the governments at different levels are spending millions of dollars every year to keep pollution under control.
The situation is even worse at other places in Haridwar, at some other points the level of pollution is much higher than standard pollution level allowed. The reason stated for such a high pollution is simply due to a large amount of water mixed without proper treatment because of lack of proper equipments that it needs to treat the water. Therefore, this would be for the sake of our health that concerned authorities take immediate action to keep pollution under control and save Haridwar, which is not only our pride but center of our spiritual belief as well.
My river Ganga is no more clean.
The situation is how terribly sad and alarming! When so many depend on the Ganges, for both spiritual and physical needs of our population. It is beyond our belief that the rivers could be, allowed to become so polluted and toxic, especially the river which is center of belief of millions. Water is such a vital resource and it seems that the most vital resources like water, air and earth are, easily the most abused with deadly pollution.
Although the governments and corporations must control and regulate sources of the problem, it is obvious that the most amounts of pollution are either directly or indirectly traceable to human beings. However their thoughtless or careless misuse of the water for disposing of rubbish of every kind and description, instead of taking more responsibility and care for helping keep the water clean, safe and available for their own and others' use and needs. The situation is going totally out of the hands.
Remember when computers were cautioned against misuse with the warning GIGO - which stood for 'Garbage In, Garbage Out"? There is a basic inevitability about dumping nasty stuff in a system, which must be, used for what must be, taken out of it, if it is to serve its main purposes.
Years ago, our country started a campaign to get the citizens to stop littering the highways and byways with trash. It is not as devastating to have paper and other junk on the ground as it is to have a major river like the Ganges poisoned with horrid trash - even dead bodies of peoples and animals, of course. However, the people who thoughtlessly contribute to the awful results must be, reminded not to do it.
When the campaign in India began and as it is continued, there were signs along the roads with catchy phrases like "Don't throw you trash on the roads" and "Keep your city clean". There were programs to encourage citizens to "Adopt a village" - which involved not only refraining from throwing trash on the highways, roads, streets but taking responsibility to see to that your area remains clean to literally clean up any trash that had been tossed onto it and to actually post the signs. I wish there were monetary fines if caught littering. However, those programs were limited on paper or up to the 'education of children' only. I wish they were, extended toward many problems that are more social and need more of our attentions.
It is not just in villages or on the banks of rivers, seashores or public parks that there are such campaigns to stop littering, either. In fact, keeping streams and rivers clean and healthy is a major concern and projects all over our country are such programs being, organized. However I can recall how it used to be before this was being, emphasized. There was littler everywhere. People were just careless and oblivious to what they were doing to the fine earth and waters. They were supposed to remain alert and aware and change their habits.
The citizens - the people who actually toss the garbage on the ground or in the river must be, made aware and encouraged not to do it, one act at a time because that is how most of it happens and accumulates. One act of putting the garbage in to that sacred river at a time and from the looks of the results, the kinds of garbage mostly individuals have done being, thrown into the river - one act at a time!
The government should also provide better facilities for disposing of the garbage, too, but people must change the habit of just tossing all that stuff in the river Just as we are doing by writing about it, individuals need to help make each other aware and help remind and encourage each other to quit doing it. Just think about it the rate it is going if it is not taken care now, it will be disastrous. I can hardly bear to think about it but it is so important, friends, as you can tell, it is something of which I am keenly aware, too. I hope more folks read my efforts and heed its importance
We have been trying to make things right for years now but they are really getting out of our hands as the people responsible for making things correct are corrupt and misuse the funds, the budget provided goes to wrong places. However, I am sure; they will wake-up one day. It is horrid when the authorities are corrupt and misuse funds. Awareness campaigns might be able to educate people and clean up the river. Once it has been, polluted so badly, it would certainly require well-funded remedies of the situation, and people must be, alerted to their responsibility in throwing stuff in it or it would just keep happening. It needs the authorities using their funds and power to do both things.
I hope they wake up very soon. Otherwise, there is a large flow of deadly poison flowing across the land, hurting bodies and souls, including those of the authorities themselves. It tears at my heart; I am so helpless to see my holy Ganges is no more holy that it used to be once.
