Revitalizing India's sacred rivers, Part 1: A brief on government action
Indian civilization like almost every other major civilization on the planet was built on the banks of rivers. For most Indians, rivers are held sacred and no river is more sacred than the Ganga. It is arguably the most vital drainage system to humankind than any other, serving more than 500 million people directly for drinking and irrigation. Yet it remains one of the most polluted rivers in the world, Other rivers like Kaveri, Mahanadi, and Narmada don't do much better either. In fact, rivers in Maharashtra are much more polluted than Ganga. As for Ganga, Uttarakhand is lucky to the only state which can safely use its water for domestic purposes (ie bathing quality) Rightly so, the dire state of these rivers has caught the attention of people from all spectrum of life; from residents to domestic pilgrims to International organizations. Cashing in on the dream for a cleaner Ganga, prominent politicians have made sweeping campaign promises followed by rigorous action plans,...