NOTES

all along the 853 km could also lead to Ganga at : Lessons unforeseen consequences. The embankment, which would come from Environmental Abuse up as part of the Ganga Expressway, will act as a barrier for the free flow of water current. While the embankment on the Venkatesh Upadhyay left side of the river might block the flow of rain water from reaching the river, the The Ganga continues to be pitomising India’s multicultural raised right bank would also lead to huge threatened by environmentally ethos and syncretism, the river amounts of mud getting deposited on unsustainable development EGanga represents what Jawaharlal the riverbed, thus decreasing the cross- Nehru, famously, called “the very symbol sectional area of the river. Unable to splay projects, of which the Ganga of Indian civilisation”. However, the spir- out its sediments on both of its banks, the Expressway is the most recent itual and cultural lineage of this river has river would naturally deposit its sedi- example. But the campaign to hardly helped to relieve it from the ever- ment load in its channel, thus disrupting save the Ganga is seemingly growing threats of pollution and desicca- the hydrodynamics of the river. It might tion. Despite frequent public pronounce- also lead the river to discharge its water caught in recrimination and ments and resolves, very little is being to escape routes via the tributary streams bad governance. done to rectify the situation both in which would lead to a flooding of nearby terms of public policies and community habitations. responsibilities. Evidently, the Ganga Expressway project In this article, I highlight how the has raised the spectre of desertification in proposed Ganga Expressway spells a grave ways that were never considered during threat to the river. I have also focused on the project’s planning stage (Dwivedi et al the attempts to clean the Ganga at Varanasi 2006: 407-08). The digging up of the and the subsequent problem which people adjoining belt would lead to the creation have faced in doing so. of low lying areas, which would collect rainwater on the offside of the river, thus Ganga Expressway creating huge chunks of sodic and saline The Ganga Expressway is a contentious soil leading to the progressive develop­ project which may put the river under ment of a desert area. In addition, the serious risk of desic­cation. The project temporary lentic ecosystem will become a launched by Chief Minister source of various water-borne diseases Kumari in 2007 aims to construct such as dengue, malaria and encephalitis. a 1,047 km access controlled eight-lane “The expressway project is ill-conceived expressway providing high-speed connec- and recklessly planned”, says S N Upadh­ tivity between the eastern and western yaya of the Institute of Technology at the boundaries of Uttar Pradesh.1 The officials Banaras Hindu University and the Sankat endorse the project on the ground that the Mochan Foundation (SMF), a non-gov- construction on the river’s left embank- ernmental organisation that is involved in ments would pre-empt floods and ensure improving the water quality of the Ganga in farmers of these areas to cultivate two crops Varanasi. According to Upadh­yaya, “This providing much needed succour to the project will consume 58,632,000 sq m of millions residing in the densely populated fertile agricultural land of Doab.2 There is no and chronically poor Ganga-Yamuna Doab. justification to sacrifice such a huge piece The detractors of the project, however, of agricultural land. Billions of tonnes of point out the environmental consequences fertile soil deposited by the Ganga annually of the expressway have not been evaluat- along the river basin would not be of any ed seriously for the river and those who agricultural use. The author is greatly indebted to Armin live by it. They fear that the expressway “This [the project] would also not be Rosenkranz for his encouragement and and its adjoining bridges will prevent the end of the problem. Supposing the support and to Priyanker Upadhyaya for being there. many of the 200-odd tributaries from project is a success and it is able to attract emptying into the Ganga with catastro­ the projected 500 large and 7,000 medium Email: [email protected] phic results. Disrupting the flood pathway industries, these would only add to the

64 september 12, 2009 vol xliv no 37 EPW Economic & Political Weekly NOTES pollution and convert the Ganga into a attention. Community-based initiatives like of poor governance on this issue also re- drain” adds Upadhyaya.3 the Clean Ganga Campaign (Swatcha flects on poor community participation. Instead of building new roads, it would Ganga)5 were inaugurated in 1982, follo­ The government is not concerned about have been wiser to extend and maintain wed by the launching of the government- the Ganga because the people do not con- the existing roads. The government sponsored Ganga Action Plan (GAP), con- sider it as an important issue. could utilise barren land for this pur- ceived by Rajiv Gandhi in 1986, to create The religious significance of the river pose, where agriculture is not the major treatment facilities for the sewage around has not translated into practical steps to occupation. One such region could be the stretch of the river. The GAP, which keep the river clean. One possible way is to the Jhansi- corridor on the was launched with much fanfare, was sensitise the people towards the threats right bank of the Ganga, which falls in the not able to achieve its objectives despite posed by river pollution. “The people are drought-affected Bundelkhand region. a total expenditure of Rs 901.71 crore over very reluctant to believe that the river is in The construction work could offer jobs a period of 15 years.6 dire need of protection. The common be- and facilitate growth around the site. The plan was flawed from the begin- lief is that the river is omnipotent and it is Similarly, the revival of river transport ning as it relied heavily upon the increased ultimately they who are in need of any pro- could be an option offering a low-cost link supply of electricity, which is still to be tection from her ire”, says Karan Madhok,8 between western and eastern flanks of the attained. The failure of GAP I to pre-empt a young journalist of the city. It might state (Dwivedi and Shashi 2008). and treat the flow of sewage in Ganga appear that such anthropo­morphisms might It is surprising that the negative environ- prompted many stakeholders to propose be futile at this point but because the mental effects of the Ganga Expressway innovative methods to be included in the Ganga is so inexorably linked in Varanasi project did not attract the public attention. second phase of the GAP. with religion and spirituality that this There was hardly any hue and cry in the One of these proposals came from the aspect must also be explored if a viable media and the politicians from oppo­sing SMF. Their model had low operation and solution is to be found. Madhok, however, camps could soon sense that they could maintenance costs and depended least on sensed a dominant feeling of helplessness not draw much political mileage out of external factors such as electricity.7 How- amongst the people: “Most average people this controversy. Is it that the people do ever, the proposal has lingered for a long whom I meet on the beat are just too not care about protecting their natural time in the corridors of the local and state embroiled in their day to day problems to environment or do they find the issue governments seeking an approval over the care much about the river.” secondary to their basic human needs? choice of the nodal agency and appropri- Madhok adds that, unfortunately even Perhaps, a closer look at the campaigns ate technology. The second phase of the those who are well-off remain insensate to protect the Ganga from pollution GAP includes setting up of sewer lines in towards the issue. The same nonchalance would help in understanding the matrix eight cities located on the banks of the marks the attitude of local administration. of public policy issues and community Ganga. The bureaucratic delays in the “People in high posts are just concerned responsibilities. implementation and the mismatch in the with plum positions and pleasing their public-private partnership seem sympto- political bosses”, he adds. Public Attitudes matic of the lack of good governance There also exist administrative incom- Millions of Indians take a holy dip every which plagues India. patibilities where the treatment of rivers year in the Ganga on the unique seven km Pandit Vir Bhadra Mishra of the SMF is around the cities and cleaning of sewers stretch of ghats of Varanasi. But the respect widely seen as the face of the conservation fall under the jurisdiction of the muni­cipal for the holy river does not prevent the efforts at Varanasi. He had proposed a authorities but the decision-making powers uninhibited pouring of raw sewage and plan through which all the waste could be are under district officers such as district industrial waste in it. The river is in serious diverted away from the river – much be- magistrates and divisional commissioners. trouble and may desiccate if drastic actions fore the government announced the GAP Garnering political consensus on the are not taken. Latest reports4 state that in 1986. Mishra believes that the glitch is issue also has its share of problems. For ex- the level of pollution in the Ganga has not at the level of public policy but rather ample, it is probable that the state govern- reached alarming proportions, and at at the implementation level. “The govern- ment may not cooperate with the centre if present, the water is not suitable for agri- ment has really been indifferent towards both have different political parties in cultural purposes. The situation has this issue. We were assured by Sonia Gandhi power. Sceptics harbour reasonable doubts reached this critical juncture due to the when she was in the opposition that they on spreading environmental awareness indifference and apathy that has plagued would put the Ganga on the top of their through the agenda of political parties as the issue all this while. It is bewildering to priorities when they come to power, but these efforts may not adequately translate note that a river that enjoys such an exalted we have heard only high-flowing rhetoric into practical action to save the river. position in the common Indian mind is from the government”, he says. Another Most of the people do not see the desic- being strayed aside for trivial gains. problem that such organisations face is cation of the Ganga as a challenge to their Campaigns to clean the Ganga were the inabi­lity to garner adequate funds. survival. For the millions afflicted by ex- launched in the early 1980s in Varanasi, But what about the community involve- treme poverty, the cleaning of the river is when pollution of the river had gained wide ment in the cleaning process? The question hardly consequential. People still do not

Economic & Political Weekly EPW september 12, 2009 vol xliv no 37 65 NOTES see the Ganga as an irreplaceable part of The local hotels and district authorities Notes their life. But a deeper understanding must work together to develop new ways 1 The expressway will be 100 m wide with a road width of 14.5 m from all sides and a height of would dispel much of such cynicism. The by which they can combat non-point pollu- 7-8 m. There will be four major bridges, three major truth is that if urgent measures are not tion.9 Both these groups must understand bridges on canals, eight railway over bridges, 256 small bridges, eight flyovers on crossings of taken to stem the fast-growing river pollu- that they have a lot to lose if the pollution Natio­nal highways, two flyovers on crossings of tion, the very survival of people who live levels in the Ganga increase even a bit. It is state highways, 40 flyovers and 225 under passes on crossings on district roads. by it would be threatened. In this case, the not as though the administration cannot 2 Doab is Hindustani for a fertile tract of land lying river cleaning issue has to be raised as an do anything about the pollution. In 2008, between two confluent rivers. It is specifically used for the region, which lies between Yamuna urgent need, as a conscious drive may when the then new elected chief minister and Ganga. bring about the desired change in the of the state was to arrive, the local admin- 3 Interview with the author, 20 July 2008. 4 Sankat Mochan Labs, 20 June 2008. public attitude and governance. istration spent Rs 1 crore on the beautifica- 5 Sankat Mochan Foundation runs the Swatcha Ganga As already mentioned, there has been tion of the ghats and adjoining areas. All (Clean ) programme comprising many senior 10 academics of Banaras Hindu University, trained an increase in the number of protests and the work stopped once she left. Tougher technicians, concerned and enlightened citizens. awareness rallies that are being taken out implementation of the Public Nuisance 6 The government claims that the schemes under the 11 Ganga Action Plan have been successful, but actual to sensitise the people towards the river’s Act can go a long way in stemming the measurements and scientific data tell a rentdiffe­ current state of distress. The problem with non-point sources of pollution. story. See http://www.cag.gov.in/reports/scientific /2000_book2/gangaactionplan.htm such a form of agitation is that it does not – It is the responsibility of the people to 7 The proposal was inspired by the Advanced Inte- necessarily address the root cause of the raise this issue at the highest level. If there grated Wastewater Pond Systems (AIWPS) devel- oped by Professor William J Oswald and his co- problem. The public, even now, does not is enough pressure from the local popu- workers at the University of California, Berkeley perceive the current situation as a threat lace on the authorities, things will begin over the past four decades. 8 Interview with the author, 24 July 2008. to their existence. Rather, they act out of to change. Since the quagmire of problems 9 The pollution to the Ganga has been divided into the illusion that everything will be taken related to the river are inevitably so inter- two large categories: point and non-point. While point source of pollution refers to the sewage dis- care of by the river. So all the rallies being linked, the effect of progress in any one posal and other large checked outlets, non-point sponsored by political organisations, avenue would go a long way in solving refers to the pollution that is generated from float- ing sources such as stalls and fairs. Also the waste schools and NGOs in different parts of the the bigger problem. One such example is that is dumped straight into the river also comes city everyday to generate awareness seem the Snowy River in Australia12 where the under this banner. 1 0 Times of India, Varanasi edition, 3-8 May 2008. ultimately inconsequential. public put pressure on the government to 11 Section 268 through 290 of the Indian Penal increase the water supply to the main trib- Code, 1860, provides for the Public Nuisance Act to be used in case of environmental pollution. The A Way Out utary of this river. If the subject garners following is in the case of pollution of water re- Any solution to the problem of the Ganga enough support so that the pollution of sources (S 277): Whoever voluntarily corrupts or fouls the water of any public spring or reservoir, would have to encompass a multidiscipli- the river becomes an important electoral so as to render it less fit for the purpose for which nary approach. The following are some matter, only then would a public campaign it is ordinarily used, shall be punished with im- prisonment of either description, a term which suggestions: be successful. may extend to three months, or with fine which – One way-out could be to “securitise” the may extend to Rs 500 or with both. 12 In the 1950s, as part of the Snowy Mountains issue. People need to understand that the Conclusions Scheme, a network of dams was built to collect and divert 99% of the Snowy River’s flow through the pollution of the Ganga poses an existen- The problem with these solutions is that mountains, to provide more water to the Murray tialist threat. In summer there was an in- there exists a conflict of interests. This is River and Murrumbidgee River for irrigation and to generate electricity. During the 1990s the low crease in the number of stories about the exactly where stakeholders and the com- level of water in the Snowy River was a major receding level of the Ganga. Invariably, all mon people need to be included in making environmental concern in Victoria, with a political campaign to increase the water from 1% to 28% of of these stories concentrated upon the policy decisions. Most people believe that its original flow from the dam at Jindabyne. river as an abstract quantity, something their voices will ultimately not be heard. It that was in severe need of attention, but is absolutely necessary that all the stake- References any mention of the plausible catastrophic holders are taken into confidence before Dwivedi, A, K Shashi and J Singh (2006): “Water Pol- lution and Groundwater Recharging”, Current consequences the desiccation of the river making important decisions. Only by do- Science, 91, pp 407-08. might entail was censored. ing so we can ensure greater account­ Dwivedi, A and K Shashi (2008): “Ganga Expressway – An inspirational model is the successful ability and involvement by the public. – A Path of Wetland Destruction”, Current Science, Vol 94, No 7, 10, pp 840-41. reinvigoration of the 160 km long river, Finally, as already stated, the condition Kali Bein in Hoshiarpur district of Punjab of the Ganga is part of a much larger prob- by the efforts of Sant Balbir Singh lem regarding the conceptualisation of Seechewal, and his followers. progress and development. The present available at – The authorities need to realise that their mode of development has threatening main source of revenue is at stake. Along ramifications for our natural resources Ganapathy Agencies with being a major pilgrimage site, the and it is necessary to initiate a broad- 3/4, 2 Link Street Ganga at Varanasi is also a major tourist based debate to choose the path of deve­ Jaffarkhanpet, Ragavan Colony Chennai 600 083, Tamil Nadu attraction. If the river dries up, the tourism lopment that draws upon our own experi- Ph: 24747538 industry at Varanasi would virtually collapse. ences as well.

66 september 12, 2009 vol xliv no 37 EPW Economic & Political Weekly