Question

write a essey on ganga the lifeline of india the story of invasion on earth

Answer 1

INTRODUCTION TO THE GANGA RIVER :
Our rivers have been most precious to us since times imme­morial. The alluvial soil brought by them has made their banks and adjoining plains so fertile that our country would never run short of food and fodder, if we use proper methods of cultivation. That is the reason why we reverse our rivers.

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru once observed that he was looking for a man who could write the history of our rivers. Long after his death, turned up a professor who began to narrate his
story of our rivers. Out of 14 major rivers, 12 are defiled with municipal and industrial wastes; the holy river Ganga is at best a sewage east of Sues. Waves of concern rippled through the country.

None could challenge the scientific data collected with utmost silence and meticulously collated. He worked out the conceptual remedy to restore Ganga to her health. It is now known as the ‘Action Plan for the prevention of pollution of the Ganga’. It was initially Professor Nilay Chaudhri who thought of this.

The river Ganga, the life-line of millions of people has, over the years, been subjected to tremendous pressures Most of its water in the upper reaches is diverted into canals; untreated sewage and industrial effluents are dumped into the river at numerous places and the residues of pesticides and insecticides used in the forms are washed into it.

This situation, already one of alarming proportions has been further aggravated by deforestation resulting in silting, floods and reduced navigational possibilities.

Recognising the magnitude of this problem, and realising the importance of water quality as a cardinal element of manage­ment, the Government of India, in February, 1985 set up the Central Ganga Authority for the planning and execution of a time bound programme to prevent the pollution of the river Ganga which is now better known as ‘Ganga Action Plan’.



THE HOLY RIVER:
No river evokes such feelings in the human mind as the Ganga does. She is loved not only by the Hindus but also by non-Hindus including the non-religious people for one reason or another. And all this just because she is ‘Ganga’. Indeed, it is difficult to explain the charm she exudes, but the fact remains that the charm has remained intact through the centuries despite all the scientific progress that has taken place and the debunking religion has come in for.

A British scientist was once shocked when he learnt of an Indian colleague taking a dip in the Ganga on an auspicious evening; he wondered how superstition had prevailed over science. What is even more interesting is the case of a non-Hindu, Russian scientist who plunged into the Ganga when someone pointed out the holy river to him. One wonders what the British scientist would have to say had he seen the sight. But then love is beyond reason.

The very name ‘Ganga’ conjures up a picture of holiness’ of a peace and joy, of beauty and sweetness, of all that is uplifting to the mind of a Hindu. She is not just a river, she is a symbol of something higher than what the world has to offer. If Himalaya is a yogin steeped in meditation, Ganga, rising from his heart is the culmination of that meditation. She is a blessing for all, good or bad.

Flowing through the plains that gives India both physical and spiritual nourishment. She is, in short, her life and soul. She is the bridge between heaven and earth. She is civility in the form of water, according to Shri Ramakrishna, industries may pollute her water but she remain as holy as ever, retaining her sanctifying dowers.

According to Jawaharlal Nehru, the stay of Ganga is the story of India’s civilisation and culture. It is indeed so, for India and Ganga both seem to be marching towards common goal, the goal of truth. When she falls from the Himalayas, she is a tiny stream but when she meets the sea she becomes infinite. And it is by attaining this infinity that she attains liberation, for there are no more banks to limit her size. Truth is another name for infinity. So it is truth that both India and Ganga are seeking.