Rashmi Sanghi Editor Our National River Ganga Lifeline of Millions Our National River Ganga
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Rashmi Sanghi Editor Our National River Ganga Lifeline of Millions Our National River Ganga Rashmi Sanghi Editor Our National River Ganga Lifeline of Millions Editor Rashmi Sanghi Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur , India ISBN 978-3-319-00529-4 ISBN 978-3-319-00530-0 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-00530-0 Springer Cham Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London Library of Congress Control Number: 2013952900 © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2014 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifi cally the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfi lms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. Exempted from this legal reservation are brief excerpts in connection with reviews or scholarly analysis or material supplied specifi cally for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work. Duplication of this publication or parts thereof is permitted only under the provisions of the Copyright Law of the Publisher’s location, in its current version, and permission for use must always be obtained from Springer. Permissions for use may be obtained through RightsLink at the Copyright Clearance Center. Violations are liable to prosecution under the respective Copyright Law. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specifi c statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. While the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication, neither the authors nor the editors nor the publisher can accept any legal responsibility for any errors or omissions that may be made. The publisher makes no warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein. Printed on acid-free paper Springer is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com) Foreword Gangaji or the Ganges is the lifeline of India and needs no introduction. Flowing from the Himalayas, through the most heavily populated basin in the world, it is also the most sacred river. From cradle to destination, this 2,225 km long river fl owing from Gangotri to Gangasagar has an integral role to play in many customs and traditions of people of India. The national river of India, Ganges, yet an endangered heritage of our country, needs special attention with respect to its utility and its deteriorating water quality. The river is not just a matter of curiosity, but also of concern even for those far away from its banks, as not only it weaves diverse communities of India but also diverse nationalities. It has become a topic of discussion, debate, deliberation and research. Numerous databases, websites, blogs, reports, articles, books, videos, are full of facts and fi gures on the Ganges. It is very diffi cult for one author to cover the mul- tidisciplinary aspects of the river in a single article. The idea of coming up with such a book was to be able to compile the expertise of some key persons who have worked on specifi c aspects of the Ganga river basin. I hope that this book will prove to be a useful insight into the scientifi c world of the holy river connecting students, experts, policy makers and common man. I also humbly hope that this book will also be a medium to create mass awareness, to ultimately help reach the goal of ‘ Aviral ’ and ‘ Nirmal ’ Ganga. Professor T.V. Prabhakar Department of Computer Science and Engineering Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, India v Pref ace In his book Discovery of India, Jawaharlal Nehru says: The Ganges above all is the river of India, which has held India’s heart captive and drawn uncounted millions to her banks since the dawn of history. The story of the Ganges, from her source to the sea, from old times to new, is the story of India’s civilization and culture, of the rise and fall of empires, of great and proud cities, of adventures of man. In these few lines he said it all about the great mighty river gushing from the Himalayas of Nepal and India, through the great plains of India, to the world’s big- gest delta, straddling West Bengal and Bangladesh, where it merges with the Brahmaputra and Meghna. The Ganges river basin is one of the most fertile and densely populated region in the world draining a basin of extraordinary variation in altitude, climate, land use, fl ora and fauna, social and cultural life. It occupies a special position in the ethos of the people of India, arguably being the most sacred river in the world. No doubt the Ganga river is unique rightly deserving a national status. This is why the Government of India declared the holy river GANGA as a “national river on 4 Nov 2008. Fourteen months later, on January 19, 2010, the criti- cally endangered Ganges river dolphin was declared India’s national aquatic animal. For the fi rst time in the history of India, a river has been given this status. Rivers in general play a very important part in the water cycle acting as drainage channels for water surface carrying water and nutrients. Though in India every river is sacred, Ganga river is unique. Besides providing irrigation, food, habitat, energy, transport and attracting tourism, it has long been considered a holy river and as the mother goddess. It is tradition, culture, belief, devotion and celebration for the masses. Originating in the heavens the Ganga of mythology came down to earth from the Milky Way in a lock of the god Shiva’s hair, thus becoming a sacred bridge between this world and the divine thereby opening the gateway to the next life. This is embodied in the death rituals of cremation followed by most Hindus. The beliefs of the people over the years have only got fi rmer and are perhaps well justifi ed as the Ganga water possess the purifying qualities saturated with viruses killing harmful bacteria. vii viii Preface Perception of the Ganga river Basin are always different depending on the individual and his or her mindset. No two communities would ever look at it from the same viewpoint. For a scientist it’s a hub of research, and for a sage a place of worship. A connect between mythology and the physical attributes of Ganga is complex as scientists, industrialists, religious leaders all look at her from their dif- ferent perspectives. A deeper and more comprehensive framework is perhaps the only way to grasp the complexities of the issues confronting this river. The river is one of my favorite metaphors, the symbol of the great fl ow of life itself; an integral part of my childhood memories. Bowing to Ganga as a mark of respect came naturally to me. The very sight and touch of Ganga water fi lls me with immense pleasure and calm. Early years of my life whilst at Allahabad I was exposed to the serene beauty and calmness of nature’s creation. The latter half of my life I was destined to be again near Ganga but at Kanpur. Here the very sight of my beloved Ganga was very disturbing. It has slowly aged and is no more able to main- tain its health and clearly is in need of treatment. Age is undoubtedly catching up with me, but far more so with Ganga! I see the free fl owing happy Ganga, my child- hood companion for so long now, being used and abused at Kanpur. Though as a child I was mystifi ed by the vastness of the river, today as a scientist I wonder what keeps it going despite the enormous overdose of toxins it gets along its course. I wonder what its saturation capacity is and I do wonder for how long it can keep on taking the poison. Will it be able to recuperate itself and be back to its happy fl owing stage or will it keep ageing under neglect and insensitivities of its users and even worshippers? As a scientist I may claim to understand the complexities involved with the river and may even try to shrug off the mythological beliefs attached to it. But as a Ganga user how can I deny the immense peace it gives me every time I go near it, every time I take a dip in it? There is something sacred, something mystifying, something intriguing, something special about my bond with the mighty river. I cannot recon- cile the scientifi c aspect of Ganga with the mythological beliefs of people. In terms of understanding Ganga, it is just impossible to come to a common consensus. The paradox is How can so many millions take a ‘holy dip’ in the river believing that it will wash away their sins yet at the same time use it for drainage/sewage and pollute it to highly threatening levels that will eventually lead to its demise? It is both the subject of human worship as well as the object of human indifference. The problems associated with Ganga may be many but then so are the solutions, but only if realisa- tion dawns on us. We cannot continue to use it and then abuse it with disdain. Recently, the Ganga is facing numerous threats originating from human activity throughout its Ganga’s basin.