Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Lichtenberger
POLLUTION
Issues of the
river Ganges
MYP Individuals and Societies
luca lichtenberger
December 9, 2015
Contents
List of Pictures
1 Introduction
2 Location
3 Religious Importance
4 Pollution
5 Who is affected by this heavy pollution
5.1. The Ganges River Dolphin
5.2. People
5.3. Animals
6 Existing Cleaning Efforts
7 Management Plan
8 Conclusion
9 References
10 Appendix
11 Action Plan
List of Pictures
Figure 1.1
Figure 1.2
Figure 2.1
Figure 2.2
Figure 3.1
Figure 3.3
Luca Lichtenberger
Luca Lichtenberger
1 Introduction
This report will cover the location of the River Ganges, as well as its flow, river basin, some of its
tributaries and its religious importance. It will also cover the environmental problems of the river,
such as damming, human and industrial waste, as well as the effect of the heavy pollution on the
environment, taking the Ganges River Dolphin as an example. There will also be management
strategies to improve the water quality of the River Ganges.
2 Location
Figure 1.1
Figure 1.2
The river Ganges, also known as Ganga, is the longest river in India that flows towards the
Bangladeshi border, as you can see in figure 1.2. It flows from the Himalayan Mountains to the Bay
of Bengal for 2,525 kilometres winding through China, Nepal, India and Bangladesh. It has the
second largest water discharge in the world and has the most populated basin with over 400 million
people living in the basin. This you can see in figure 1.1. The river originates from the Gangotri
glacier, but gets most of its water from its many confluences, such as the river Alaknanda,
Mandakini, Pindar and Bhagirathi. The river travels 200 km through the Himalayas until it emerges at
a town called Haridwar, where a dam connects it the Ganges with its main tributary, the Jamuna.
From there on it flows through the plains of northern India. The Ganges formed a delta covering
roughly 25% of India territory. Its estimated drainage basin is 1,080,000 sq. km. Once the river flows
into Bangladesh its main branch is called the Padma River. The overall statistics vary though, since
the Ganges River has a very complicated hydrology.
3 Religious Importance
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The river is known for its importance to the people of India. It doesnt only give them drinking water
and food, such as fish, but is also significant to Hindu religion. It is considered their most sacred river.
It is worshipped as the goddess Ganga Ma or Mother Ganges. According to the myths of the Hindu
religion the goddess Ganga descended from heaven to dwell in the waters of the river Ganges to
purify and bring to heaven does who touch it. Hindus believe, that when a person dies their ashes
have to be spread in the river for them to reach the World of Ancestors.
4 Pollution
As you can see in figure 2.1 the river Ganges is
really dirty, when millions of people bathe in the
river, while millions of dead peoples ashes is
floating around the river. The Ganges River is
one of the most polluted rivers around the
world, some statistics even stating it is the most
polluted river in the world. The pollution is
caused by human and industrial waste, as well as
fertilizers. There are 400 million people living
near the river and most of their waste is just
dumped in the river. Furthermore, many people
Figure 2.1
bathe and wash their clothes in the Ganges.
Most of the factories dump their toxic waste in
the midst of the river. The village Kanpur alone has 300 factories along the rivers edge dumping
untreated chemicals in the river. Nearly 1 billion liters of untreated raw sewage enters the river
every day. Drinking, and even bathing, in the river is very dangerous. Bacteria levels near a village
named Varanasi are at least 3, 000 times higher than what is declared safe by the World Health
Organization. The river has been tested to
contain high levels of chemicals, such as
chromium sulphate, arsenic, cadmium,
mercury and sulfuric acid, which are all
highly toxic. Additionally, because of some
religious activities human remains are placed
in the river. Around 10, 000 partially burnt or
even unburnt corpses are thrown into the
river each year. Every year, over 100, 000
land animals die and decay in the river. The
factories use the fresh water from the
river to create things, such as salt, dye or
Figure 2.2
paper and dump heavy water back, which
contains poisonous chemicals. In figure 2.2 you can see how full of waste the river is. To produce one
pair of leather jeans the factory needs 50 gallons of fresh water. This means around 50 gallons of
polluted excess is thrown back into the river.
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5 Who is affected by this heavy pollution?
5.1. The Ganges River Dolphin
Due to this heavy pollution of the river
many animals and humans, as well as
the whole environment, is largely
affected. As stated before 100, 000
land-based animals die in the river. In
the river you have a special dolphin,
named The Ganges River Dolphin
(platanista gangetia). The river water is
so muddy that the dolphins vision is
useless. Over time the dolphins
changed and became mutated. They
Figure 3.1
lost their eyesight. As you can observe
in figure 3.1 the dolphins do not have any eyes. They are now using a sophisticated echolocation
system to navigate and find their food. Even though they have adapted they are still on the
endangered species list. This is because of various reasons. One of them is because of the damming
for hydroelectric irrigation purposes. Other factors also include the increase of boat traffic, fishing
and pollution. They are also hunted by the people of India for their meat and oil. There are only an
estimated number of 4000-6000 Ganges River Dolphins left.
5.2. People
The whole environment around the River Ganges is affected by its pollution, as well as the people
living around it. One statistic states, that over 420 million people rely on the river for food, water,
bathing and agriculture. The bacteria level of the river is far over than what the World Health
Organization has declared as healthy. A witness states, that he owns a washing factory right next to
the traditional cremation area. He washes clothes for people and then brings them back to them
earning his money that way. No one cares that right next to the washing place dead bodies and half
burnt ashes are thrown just some hundred meters next to him (Vijay Kumar, dw.com). This way
many people are dying from diseases. They get their diseases either by the drinking the water from
the river, bathing in it, getting their clothes washed in the river or just by eating the food which is
produced near the river. There have been cases of the river bringing in cholera, hepatitis and
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dysentery. The river Ganges is a leading cause in the death of many children leaving near the River
Ganges and coming into contact with it. The River Ganges is a death zone.
5.3. Animals
Animals are also affected by the river. Some
are affected directly by drinking its waters and
therefor getting diseases or they may be
affected by the dams that are built. As an
example, the Kotli-Bhel dam at Devprayag will
destroy 1200 hectares of forests, leaving
behind many animals without shelter. Without
shelter the animals wont be able to survive
long and will die. It will be a big challenge for
Figure 3.3
the animals to cope with the drastically
changes. As you can see in figure 3.3 many
animas die each year, because of the polluted river.
6 Cleaning Efforts
There have been many different cleaning efforts bringing in small changes, yet it did not bring the
big changes that were hoped for.
6.1 Ganga Action Plan
The Ganga Action Plan was a program to reduce the pollution load on the river, but the efforts didnt
show any results even after spending over 9 billion Rupiah on the project, but they did manage to
shut down many highly polluting industrial plants and funded for the construction of wastewater
treatment facilities.
6.2 Integrated Ganges Development Project
After coming to power in May 2014, the new prime Minister Narendra Modi started the Integrated
Ganges Development Project, as well as creating a Ministry for Water Resources, River Development
and Ganges Rejuvenation. He allocated around $334 million to the project and promised the river
would be clean in three years. Modi already received criticism after only four months from the
Supreme Court, that the plan may not help clean the Ganges even after 200 years. Little is known
about this project.
6.3 Sankat Mochan Foundation
The head priest of the Sankat Mochan temple, Veer Bhadra Misra, founded the Sankat Mochan
Foundation to protect and to purify the river Ganges. It also gives awareness to people that the river
needs protection. One of the ways it wants to protect the river is to build a 4-mile pipeline to
intercept all the sewage coming from Varanasi. The government already funded $33 million to build
a plant that would help with the sewage problem. There were some problems with the idea, so the
idea was thrown away a couple of years later.
7 Management Plan
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The river is already so polluted it is going to be hard to ever get the river to its original glory. The first
thing that has to be done, is to cut off all the waste coming out of the factories. This will reduce the
amount of untreated waste, that will be dumped into the water. Theoretically, you should try to
forbid the people from bathing in the river, as well as drinking and throwing human remains into the
Ganges. This will also decrease the amount of pollution the river will get each year. Yet this is going
to be a big problem, since the Ganges has a huge religious significance. The people bathe in it to
wash away their sins and for other religious reasons. The people of India would not want the river to
be a forbidden area and there could be riots, if that would be illegal. One step that could be taken is
that throwing human remains in the river is forbidden. Forbidding to also throw ashes in the river
would also not work, since the people do that, so the person that dies will also reach the World of
the Ancestors (see Religious Significance). Ashes are more hygienic than human remains, so
forbidding human remains would be a plausible step. There would need to be a big scale campaign
to clear all the waste from the river. Plastic bags, plastic bottles and other objects could be picked
out of the water. This way the water would eventually be free of all the garbage. The next step
would be to purify the water and clear all the bacteria. Many purification facilities would have to be
built to improve the water quality, as well as green biotech floating-island, that reduce the pollutant
density in the water. If all those steps would be done the river would be somewhat cleaner. The next
step would be to make a whole set of laws, so the river also stays clean. The people would not be
allowed to wash their clothes in the river, dump any waste, wash themselves with soap, human
waste from the homes should not be dumped in the river, toxic waste from factories cannot be
dumped and many other rules. Those actions may seem easy and simple, but it would take many
years and a lot of money. It may be possible to restore the river Ganges to its original beauty, but it
would be really hard and the actions must be taken now.
8 Conclusion
The river Ganges is one of the mostly polluted rivers in the world with over 400 million people living
near its banks. The water in the river isnt just dangerous, but toxic. The bacteria level is 3, 000 times
higher than what is declared safe by the World Health Organization. Dead bodies, human waste and
industrial waste is dumped by the thousands in the river each year. The waters are so dirty and
murky the dolphins adapted to the water quality, lost their eyesight and are now orienting
themselves with a highly sophisticated echolocation system. Even though many projects have been
launched before to purify the river there has not been any major cleaning breakthrough. The Ganges
is heavily polluted and action must be taken now. Some resources even say that the pollution will
increase by 100% this year. If we wait another few years, the river could already be too polluted to
purify. The Ganges is already heavily toxic and if there is some action the pollution can maybe be
halted and even reversed.
References
Pictures
Chaudhary, Archana, and Rakteem Katakey. "Modi Invokes Mahatma Gandhi to Clean Mother
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Websites
Briney, Amanda. "Ganges River."http://geography.about.com/od/culturalgeography/a/Ganges
River.htm. N.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2015.
Jaiswal, Rakesh. "Ganges River Pollution." http://www.all-about-india.com/Ganges-River
Pollution.html. N.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2015.
N. a. "Ganges River - Solutions." http://web.bryant.edu/~langlois/ecology/gangessolutions.htm. N.d.
Web. 27 Nov. 2015.
N. a. "Ganges River Basin." http://www.riverbasin.org/index.cfm?&menuid=93&parentid=87 . N.d.
Web. 27 Nov. 2015.
N.a. "Ganges River."http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Ganges_Rive r. N.d. Web. 25 Nov.
2015.
N.a. "India : Ganges River." https://sites.google.com/a/woodward.edu/world-geography-wiki/wiki
projects/top-sites-of-south-asia/india-ganges-river. N.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2015.
N.a. "Living River: The Ganges." http://www.livingriverfilm.com/ganga-facts/ N.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2015.
Ramachandran, Sudha. "Cleaning Up the Ganges." http://thediplomat.com/2014/09/cleaning-up-the
ganges/. 15 Sept. 2014. Web. 27 Nov. 2015.
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YouTube Clips
Allinone, Imzy. "Water Pollution in India a Serious Concern a Documentary - Every Indian Must
Watch This Video." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IG3thzNUIdY. 24 Apr. 2014. Web. 30
Nov. 2015.
Kalpavata. "GANGES or GANGA - A COMPLETE Documentary: [MUST WATCH]."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM9aPy7H534. 10 Oct. 2011. Web. 30 Nov. 2015.
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It should be noted that the course of the Ganges River described in the above paragraphs is a
general description of the river's route from its source where the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda rivers
join to its outlet at the Bay of Bengal. The Ganges has a very complicated hydrology and there are
several different descriptions of its overall length and the size of its drainage basin based on what
tributary rivers are included. The most widely accepted length of the Ganges River is 1,569 miles
(2,525 km) and its drainage basin is estimated to be about 416,990 square miles (1,080,000 sq km).
http://geography.about.com/od/culturalgeography/a/Ganges-River.htm 25/11/15
The Ganges (also Ganga Devangar: ) is a major river in the Indian subcontinent flowing east
through the eponymous plains of northern India into Bangladesh. The 2,510 km (1,557 mi) long river
begins at the Gangotri Glacier in the Indian state of Uttarakhand in the central Himalayas and drains
into the Bay of Bengal through its vast delta in the Sunderbans. The Ganges originates in the
Himalayas after the confluence of six rivers Alaknanda meets Dhauliganga at Vishnuprayag,
Mandakini at Nandprayag, Pindar at Karnaprayag, Mandakini at Rudraprayag and finally Bhagirathi
at Devaprayag (from here onwards, it is known as Ganga) in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Out of
the five, the Bhagirathi is held to be the source stream originating at the Gangotri Glacier at an
elevation of 7,756 m (25,446 ft). The streams are fed by melting snow and ice from glaciers including
glaciers from peaks such as Nanda Devi and Kamet.
After travelling 200 km through the Himalayas, the Ganges emerges at the pilgrimage town of
Haridwar in the Shiwalik Hills. At Haridwar, a dam diverts some of its waters into the Ganges Canal,
which links the Ganges with its main tributary, the Jamuna. The Ganges which till this point flows in a
south-western direction now begins to flow in a south-eastern direction through the plains northern
India.
From Haridwar the river follows an 800 km (500 mi) winding course passing through the city of
Kanpur, before being joined by the Yamuna from the southwest at Allahabad. This point, known as
the Sangam, is a sacred place in Hinduism. According to ancient Hindu texts, at one time a third
river, the Sarasvati River, met the two rivers at this point.[2]
Joined by numerous rivers such as the Kosi, Son, Gandak and Ghaghra, the Ganges forms a
formidable current in the stretch between Allahabad and Malda in West Bengal. On its way it passes
the towns of Mirzapur, Varanasi, Patna and Bhagalpur. At Bhagalpur, the river meanders past the
Rajmahal Hills, and begins to change course southwards. At Pakaur, the river begins its first attrition
with the branching away of its first distributary, the River Bhagirathi, which goes on to form the
River Hooghly. Close to the border with Bangladesh, the Farakka Barrage, built in 1974 controls the
flow of the Ganges, diverting some of the water into a feeder canal linking the Hooghly to keep it
relatively silt-free.
After entering Bangladesh, the main branch of the Ganges is known as Padma River until it is joined
by the Jamuna River the largest distributary of the Brahmaputra. Further downstream, the Ganges is
fed by the Meghna River, the second largest distributary of the Brahmaputra and takes on its name
entering the Meghna Estuary. Fanning out into the 350 km (220 mi) wide Ganges Delta, it empties
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out into the Bay of Bengal. Only two rivers, the Amazon and Congo have a higher discharge than the
combined flow of the Ganges, the Brahmaputra and the Surma-Meghna river system.
Until the end of the 18th Century, the Ganges River separately discharged into the Bay of Bengal a
few kilometers west of the Meghna Estuary. The Brahmaputra River flowed to the east of the
Madhupur Tract (upland) and after joining with the Meghna River their combined flow fed into the
estuary following approximately the same alignment as the present Lower Meghna River. Between
the end of the 18th Century and early 19th Century, the Brahmaputra River increased its diversion via
the Jamuna River and joined with the Ganges at Aricha.[3] This change was hastened by the 1897
earthquake.
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Ganges_River 25/11/15
The Ganges River is 1,560 miles long. It flows southeast through north east India across a vast plain
into the Bay of Bengal in Bangladesh. It is the most sacred river in India. The plain is the worlds most
densely populated regions. The river is highly polluted because it is located near major population
centers. The lower Ganges river joined by the Brahmaputra river of Dhaka, Bangladesh to form a
Padma the river's main channel to the sea. The rivers unite to form the vast and fertile GangesBrahmaputra Delta. The delta region covers roughly 25% of India's territory and supports 300 million
people. The delta's southern fringe is known as the Sundarbuns. This low-lying area has been
suffering great devastation from cyclones and coastal flooding. Many people enjoy bathing in the
river even though it is very polluted and can and probably will give you an infection.
https://sites.google.com/a/woodward.edu/world-geography-wiki/wiki-projects/top-sites-of-southasia/india-ganges-river 25/11/15
Ganges River Basin
The river known as the Ganges is officially and popularly known by its Hindu name, Ganga. The
river has its source in the Himalayas, at Gaumakh in the southern Himalayas on the Indian side of
the Tibetan border. It is 1 560 miles (2 510 km) long and flows through China, India, Nepal and
Bangladesh. The Ganges river basin is one of the most fertile and densely populated in the world
and covers an area of 400 000 sq miles (1 000 000 sq km). The river flows through 29 cities with
population over 100,000, 23 cities with population between 50,000 and 100,000, and about 48
towns.
The Delta
The silt deposits of the delta cover an area of 23 000 sq miles (60 000 sq km). The river courses in
the delta are broad and active, carrying a vast amount of water. The rains from June to October
cause most of the Bangladeshi delta region to flood, leaving the villages that are built on artificially
raised land isolated. On the seaward side of the delta are swamplands and tidal forests called
Sunderbans which are protected conservation areas in both Indian and Bangladeshi law. The peat
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found in the delta is used for fertiliser and fuel. The water supply to the river depends on the rains
brought by the monsoon winds from July to October and the melting snow from the Himalayas
during the period from April to June. The delta also experiences strong cyclonic storms before and
after the monsoon season which can be devastating. In November 1970, for example, 200 000 -
500 000 people were killed in such storms.
The delta used to be densely forested and inhabited by many wild animals. Today, however, it has
become intensely cultivated to meet the needs of the growing population and many of the wild
animals have disappeared. The Royal Bengal Tiger still lives in the Sunderbans and kills about 30
villagers every year. There remains high fish populations in the rivers which provides an important
part of the inhabitants' diet. Bird life in the Ganges basin is also prolific.
http://www.riverbasin.org/index.cfm?&menuid=93&parentid=87 25/11/15
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health risk of infection through the fecal-oral route and bathing). These populous areas are then
exposed to these potentially hazardous accumulations. While proposals have been made for
remediating this condition so far no great progress has been achieved.
The major polluting industries on the Ganges are the leather industries, especially near Kanpur,
which use large amounts of chromium and other chemicals. However, industry is not the only source
of pollution. The sheer volume of waste estimated at nearly 1 billion litres per day, of mostly
untreated raw sewage is a significant factor. Furthermore, inadequate cremation procedures
contributes to a large number of partially burnt or unburnt corpses floating down the Ganga, in
addition to livestock corpses.
The Ganga Action Plan has been set up under the Indian government and is attempting to build a
number of waste treatment facilities, under Dutch and British support, and to collaborate with a
number of voluntary organizations.
A UN Climate Report issued in 2007 indicates that the Himalayan glaciers that feed the Ganges may
disappear by 2030, leaving the river a seasonal occurrence from Monsoons.
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Ganges_River 25/11/15
Pollution of the Ganges has become so serious that bathing in and drinking its water has become
very dangerous. The major polluting industry along the Ganges is the leather industry especially
near Kanpur, from which Chromium and other chemicals leak into the river. Another huge source of
pollution is that of the nearly 1 billion litres of mostly untreated raw sewage that enters the river
every day. Inadequate cremation procedures result in partially burnt or unburnt corpses floating in
the river.
http://www.riverbasin.org/index.cfm?&menuid=93&parentid=87 25/11/15
The Ganges River Dolphin
The Ganges river dolphin ( platanista gangetia ) is found in India, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh, in
the Ganges, Brahmaputra, Meghna, Karnaphuli and Hoogli river systems. The river water is so
muddy that vision is useless and so these dolphins are blind and their eyes have no lenses. They use
a sophisticated echolocation system to navigate and find food. They eat shrimp and fish from the
mud in river bottoms. They are solitary creatures and are only found in fresh water. The Ganges
river dolphin is an endangered species as a result of a number of factors. These factors include the
damming of rivers for hydroelectric and irrigation purposes, and the increase in boat traffic, fishing
and pollution. They are also hunted by humans for meat and oil. There are only approximately 4000
- 6000 individuals left.
http://www.riverbasin.org/index.cfm?&menuid=93&parentid=87 25/11/15
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Industrial pollution from metal works (chrome, iron, copper, etc.) paper mills, dye and salt
manufacturers, and leather factories. For example, Kanpur has over 300 factories along the
rivers edge. Water-intensive factories use up fresh water but dump oxygen-depleted water
termed heavy water that contains chemicals like chromium, nickel, copper, etc., and
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Domestic waste from 32 treatment plant points along the river Varanasi has five such
conduits, and all flow directly into the river unabated or treated.
Fact: Varanasi water contains over 200 times more fecal bacteria than maximum tolerable
levels.
Free-range animals like cows, buffalos, dogs and all other land-based wild life bathe and die,
decaying in the river.
The ancient practice of dumping dead human bodies or partially cremated bodies into the
river continues.
Fact: Over 100,000 land-based animals die and decay in the river.
Fact: Over 10,000 bodies are thrown into the river every year even though it is declared
illegal.
Chemicals used by over 100 million Indians like chlorine to clean wells and detergents to
bathe and wash clothes.
http://www.livingriverfilm.com/ganga-facts/ 27/11/15
The Ganges River Pollution is now at such a high
level that the amount of toxins, chemicals and
other dangerous bacteria found in the river are
now almost 3000 times over the limit suggested
by the WHO as 'safe'.
The river directly and indirectly affects the
largest population of any river in the world with
over more than 420 million people who rely on it
for food, water, bathing and agriculture. And that
is not to mention the tens of Millions of pilgrims
who venture to India's most holy of rivers each
year to bathe and worship.
Search this site
So with such a massive influence on the local and national population, why is it that the river is so
completely and utterly disgusting?
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Well this is a question that is asked everyday and to help answer it we first need to take a look at a
few facts which mean that the environmental issue in India are some of the worst in the world.
When you've finished you may want to have a look at air pollution in India
FACTS ABOUT GANGES RIVER POLLUTION
Hundreds Unwanted or 'illegitimate' babies, cattle and other animal carcases are also
dumped in the Ganges again with religious significance
The levels of Coliform bacteria is over 2800 times the level considered safe by the W.H.O
(world health organisation).
http://www.all-about-india.com/Ganges-River-Pollution.html 27/11/15
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Along with daily baths in the Ganges River and offerings to the goddess Ganga there are large
religious festivals that occur in the river throughout the year where millions of people travel to the
river to bathe so that they can be purified of their sins.
http://geography.about.com/od/culturalgeography/a/Ganges-River.htm 25/11/15
In Hinduism, the river Ganga (Sanskrit and Hindi
Gag) or Ganges River (as called by
westerners) is considered to be sacred. It is worshipped by Hindus, and personified as a goddess,
who holds an important place in the Hindu religion. Hindus believe that bathing in the river on
certain occasions causes the remission of sins and facilitates the attainment of salvation. Many
people believe that this effect obtains from bathing in Ganga at any time. People travel from distant
places to immerse the ashes of their kin in the waters of the Ganga; this immersion also is believed
to be meritorious as the ashes are believed to go to heaven. Several places sacred to Hindus lie along
the banks of the river Ganga, including Haridwar, Allahabad and Varanasi.
The river Ganga is mentioned in the Rig-Veda, the earliest of the Hindu scriptures (Rig Veda 10.75),
which lists the rivers from east to west. In Rig Veda 6.45.31, the word Ganga is also mentioned, but it
is not clear if the reference is to the river.
According to Hinduism, the Ganga is sacred and she is worshipped as a goddess.[4] [5] Hindus believe
that bathing in the river on certain occasions causes the forgiveness of sins and helps attain
salvation. Many people believe that this will come from bathing in Ganga at any time. People travel
from distant places to immerse the ashes of their kin in the waters of the Ganga; this immersion also
is believed to send the ashes to heaven. Several places sacred to Hindus lie along the banks of the
river Ganga, including Haridwar and Kashi. People carry sacred water from the Ganges that is sealed
in copper pots after making the pilgrimage to Kashi. It is believed that drinking water from the Ganga
with one's last breath will take the soul to heaven.
The ancient scriptures mention that the water of Ganges carries the blessings of Lord Vishnu's feet;
hence Mother Ganges is also known as Vishnupadi, which means "Emanating from the Lotus feet of
Supreme Lord Sri Vishnu."
Some of the most important Hindu festivals and religious congregations are celebrated on the banks
of the river Ganga such as the Kumbh Mela and the Chhat Puja. Additionally, the river has hundreds
of temples along its banks, which often get flooded during the rains.
There are several Hindu beliefs that give various versions of the birth of Ganga. According to one
version, the sacred water in Brahma's Kamandalu (water-vessel) became personified as a maiden,
Ganga. According to another (Vaishnavite) legend, Brahma had reverently washed the feet of Vishnu
and collected this water in his Kamandalu. According to yet a third version, Ganga was the daughter
of Himavan, king of the mountains, and his consort Mena; she was thus a sister of the goddess
Parvati. Every version declares that she was raised in the heavens, under the tutelage of Brahma.
Several years later, a king named Sagara magically acquired sixty thousand sons. One day, King
Sagara performed a ritual of worship for the good of the kingdom. One of the integral parts of the
ritual was a horse, which was stolen by the jealous Indra. Sagara sent all his sons all over the earth to
search for the horse. They found it in the nether-world (or Underworld) next to a meditating sage
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Kapila. Believing that the sage had stolen the horse, they hurled insults at him and caused his
penance to be disturbed. The sage opened his eyes for the first time in several years, and looked at
the sons of Sagara. With this glance, all sixty thousand were burnt to death with the yogic fire from
his third eye.
The souls of the sons of Sagara wandered as ghosts since their final rites had not been performed.
When Bhagiratha, one of the descendants of Sagara, son of Dilip, learnt of this fate, he vowed to
bring Ganga down to Earth so that her waters could cleanse their souls and release them to heaven.
Bhagiratha prayed to Brahma that Ganga come down to Earth. Brahma agreed, and he ordered
Ganga to descend down to the Earth and go on to the nether regions so that the souls of
Bhagiratha's ancestors would be able to go to heaven. The vain Ganga felt that this was insulting and
decided to sweep the whole earth away as she fell from the heavens. Alarmed, Bhagiratha prayed to
Shiva that he break up Ganga's descent.
Ganga arrogantly fell on Shiva's head but Shiva calmly trapped her in his hair and let her out in small
streams. The touch of Shiva further sanctified Ganga. As Ganga travelled to the nether-worlds, she
created a different stream to remain on Earth to help purify unfortunate souls there. She is the only
river to follow from all the three worlds - Swarga (heaven), Prithvi (earth) and, Patala (netherworld
or hell). Thus is called "Tripathag" ( one who travels the three worlds) in Sanskrit language.
Because of Bhagiratha's efforts Ganga descended on to earth and hence the river is also known as
Bhagirathi, and the term "Bhagirath prayatna" is used to describe valiant efforts or difficult
achievements.
Another name that Ganga is known by is Jahnavi. Story has it that once Ganga came down to earth,
on her way to Bhagiratha, her rushing waters created turbulence and destroyed the fields and the
sadhana of a sage called Jahnu. He was angered by this and drank up all of Ganga's waters. Upon
this, the Gods prayed to Jahnu to release Ganga so that she could proceed on her mission. Pleased
with their prayers, Jahnu released Ganga (her waters) from his ears. Hence the name "Jahnavi"
(daughter of Jahnu) for Ganga.
It is sometime believed that the river will finally dry up at the end of Kali Yuga (the era of darkness,
the current era) just as with the Sarasvati river, and this era will end. Next in (cyclic) order will be the
Satya Yuga or the era of Truth.
According to the Hindu scriptures like Skanda Purana, the goddess Ganga is foster-mother to
Karttikeya (Murugan), who was actually a son of Shiva and Parvati.
According to Brahma Vaivarta Purana 2.6.13-95 Vishnu has three wives, who constantly quarrel with
each other, so that eventually, he keeps only Lakshmi, giving Ganga to Shiva and Saraswati to
Brahma.
The Hindu epic, Mahabharata tells that the Vasus, cursed by Vashishta had requested Ganga to be
their mother. Ganga incarnated and became the wife of King Santanu on condition that at no stage
shall he question her actions, or she would leave him. As seven Vasus were born as their children,
one after the other, Ganga drowned them in her own waters, freeing them from their punishment
and the king made no opposition. Only when the eighth was born did the king finally oppose his
wife, who therefore left him. So the eighth son, Dyaus incarnated, remained alive, imprisoned in
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Luca Lichtenberger
mortal form, and later became known in his mortal incarnation as Bhishma (Devavrata), who is one
of the most respected characters of the Mahabharata.
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Ganges_River 25/11/15
Religious Significance
The people of the Ganges basin are of mixed origin. In the west and centre of the region Turks,
Mongols, Afghans, Persians and Arabs intermingled with the original Aryans, while in the east and
south (the Bengal area) the people originate from a mixture of Tibetan, Burman and hill
peoples. Hindus regard the Ganges as the holiest of rivers. It was named after the goddess Ganga,
the daughter of the mountain god Himalaya. Pilgrimage sites are particularly significant along the
river. At the confluence of the Ganges and and the Tamuna tributory near Allahabad a bathing
festival in January and February attracts hundreds of thousands of pilgrims. Other holy pilgrimage
sites along the river include Haridwar, the place where the Ganges leaves the Himalayas, and
Allahabad, where the mythical Saraswati river is believed to enter the Ganges. Water from the
Ganges is used to cleanse any place or object for ritual purposes. Bathing in the river is believed to
wash away one's sins. To bathe in the Ganga is a lifelong ambition for Hindus and they congregate in
incredible numbers for the Sangam, Sagar Mela and Kumbh Mela festivals. It is believed that any
water that mixes with even the smallest amount of Ganges water becomes holy with healing
powers. Hindus also cast the ashes of their dead in the river in the belief that this will guide the
souls of the deceased straight to paradise.
http://www.riverbasin.org/index.cfm?&menuid=93&parentid=87 25/11/15
Luca Lichtenberger
recurring floods and droughts. Interim agreements have been reached between India and
Bangladesh on this issue - the " Treaty Between the government of the Republic of India and the
government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh on Sharing of the Ganga/Ganges Waters at
Farakka " signed on December 12, 1996, but a permanent settlement has not yet been attained.
http://www.riverbasin.org/index.cfm?&menuid=93&parentid=87 25/11/15
Luca Lichtenberger
http://thediplomat.com/2014/09/cleaning-up-the-ganges/ 27/11/15
Veer Bhadra Misra, a head priest at the Sankat Mochan temple, founded the Sankat Mochan
Foundation. The foundation gives awareness on the need to protect the Ganges River. The
foundation had come up with a few ways to try to clean the river up. The plan involves a 4-mile
pipeline to intercept all the sewage that would normally flow in to the Ganges from the Varanasi
area. The pipeline would then extend another 4 miles to an elevated sandbar in the Ganges where a
series of ponds would cleanse the waste using microorganisms to destroy the bacteria. The
government has already spent about $33 million to build a plant that would help with the huge
sewage problem.
The problem with this new idea of using a pipeline to clean the water is the fact that it used electricpowered pumps to pump the water through to clean it. When the power goes out, the town
regained all the polluted water right back, and was even more than there was before! That idea was
thrown out a couple of years after it was applied.
http://web.bryant.edu/~langlois/ecology/gangessolutions.htm 27/11/15
What conflicts arise over the river Ganges and how can does be
solved?
My research question is relevant, because it will help me understand
more about the problems and conflicts over rivers. This will then help
me in the future, when I may have jobs, such as designing a dam for
a river.
Sub questions
By answering
these subquestions, you will
enable yourselves
to answer the main
research question.
Check your task
sheet and
brainstorm
additional
questions with
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Luca Lichtenberger
your group.
Include them all
here.
Methods to be
used in the
investigation
Identify the
relevant
sources/evidence
that you will use
Record the
works cited.
Pictures
Chaudhary, Archana, and Rakteem Katakey. "Modi Invokes
Mahatma Gandhi to Clean Mother Ganga."
20
Meghna_basins.jpg. 30
Luca Lichtenberger
. "?_
." http://world.yam.com/post.php?id=2144. 07 July
2014. Web. 27 Nov. 2015.
Websites
Briney, Amanda. "Ganges River.
"http://geography.about.com/od/culturalgeography/a/Ga
n
ges-River.htm. N.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2015.
Jaiswal, Rakesh. "Ganges River Pollution." http://www.allabout-india.com/Ganges-River-Pollution.html. N.d. Web.
27 Nov. 2015.
N. a. "Ganges River - Solutions."
http://web.bryant.edu/~langlois/ecology/gangessolutions
.
htm. N.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2015.
N. a. "Ganges River Basin."
http://www.riverbasin.org/index.cfm?&menuid=93&parentid=87 .
N.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2015.
N.a. "Ganges
River."http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Gang
es_River. N.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2015.
N.a. "India : Ganges River."
https://sites.google.com/a/woodward.edu/worldgeography-wiki/wiki-projects/top-sites-of-southasia/india-ganges-river. N.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2015.
N.a. "Living River: The Ganges."
http://www.livingriverfilm.com/ganga-facts/
2015.
Ramachandran, Sudha. "Cleaning Up the Ganges."
http://thediplomat.com/2014/09/cleaning-up-the-ganges/. 15
Sept. 2014. Web. 27 Nov. 2015.
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Luca Lichtenberger
YouTube Clips
Allinone, Imzy. "Water Pollution in India a Serious Concern a
Documentary - Every Indian Must Watch This Video."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IG3thzNUIdY. 24 Apr. 2014.
Web. 30 Nov. 2015.
Kalpavata. "GANGES or GANGA - A COMPLETE
Documentary: [MUST WATCH]."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM9aPy7H534. 10 Oct.
2011. Web. 30 Nov. 2015.
What steps will
you follow to
address/ answer
the research
question?
Develop an action
plan for the main
stages of the
investigation. The
action plan should
be framed by the
sub-questions but
should be treated
like a check list of
things- to-do.
Include what
needs to be done
and when you aim
to have it
completed by
22
Date
Tick
Wednesday 18th
November, 2015
Friday 20th
November, 2015
Create capture
sheet and start
researching
Wednesday 25th
November, 2015
Finish research in
class. If not finish
over the weekend
Friday 27th
November, 2015
Friday 27th
November, 2015
Finish the
bibliography and the
evaluation over the
Friday 27th
November, 2015
Sunday 29th
Luca Lichtenberger
weekend
November, 2015
Wednesday 9th
December, 2015
Evaluation
Questions to
follow
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