Write a letter to the Editor of National Times about the threat posed on human health and wildlife survival by increased level of pollution of the Ganges. Suggest ways and benefits of a getting a cleaner Ganga. You are Nirvaan/ Nivritti of Varanasi.
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India's holy Ganges begins as a crystal clear river high in the icy Himalayas but pollution and excessive usage transforms it into toxic sludge in places on its journey through burgeoning cities, industrial hubs and past millions of devotees.
The country’s government, led by Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party that reveres the river, committed nearly $3 billion of funds to a five-year clean-up of the Ganges, due to be completed in 2020.
In Uttar Pradesh state, the city of Prayagraj is currently hosting a huge religious festival called the Kumbh Mela, where up to 150 million pilgrims will come to bathe in the Ganges by March. The state government has undertaken emergency measures to ensure the water runs clear there, temporarily closing sewage drains and ordering heavily polluting tanneries upstream to be shut for a three-month period during the festival.
India’s Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari said last month the plans to clean the river are on track. Modi too has made the issue a top priority, telling Reuters partner ANI in an interview last month the government was “working hard” on improving water quality.