The River Ganga here in Varanasi is a paradox. This city is the holiest place along the Ganga and there is great beauty here. The sun rises over the river gilding the boats and the early morning worshipers who are doing puja, singing ragas or bathing in the holy water.
This river is also one of the most polluted in the world. Although some efforts have been made to clean the river, raw sewage still flows into it, remains from cremations (and some times entire bodies) go into the river, garbage and plastics (a newer and signficant challenge because they don't degrade, float by with the boats.
Cl
eaning the river is a challenge, in part because of the deep cultural beliefs about Ganga. When we talked yesterday to students at Benares Univeristy, they acknowledged the paradox. Intellectually they understand that Ganga is polluted, but they also talk about her as 'pure' and 'clean' because of her special significance. Anything that goes into the river, no matter how dirty, becomes pure. One man told me that all significant Hindu rituals (birth, death, marriage) must be blessed with Ganga water. Whenever someone travels to one of the cities along the Ganga, they bring home bottles of Ganga water to store until the next time it is needed by the family.
There are some environmental groups that are working to create gravity powered sewage treatment plants (electricity goes out too often here to rely on an electric plant) and to work within the cultural frame to shift people's thinking about garbage disposal and waste in the river. They seem to be fighting an uphill battle, but making small progress, one step at a time.
M
This river is also one of the most polluted in the world. Although some efforts have been made to clean the river, raw sewage still flows into it, remains from cremations (and some times entire bodies) go into the river, garbage and plastics (a newer and signficant challenge because they don't degrade, float by with the boats.
Cl
eaning the river is a challenge, in part because of the deep cultural beliefs about Ganga. When we talked yesterday to students at Benares Univeristy, they acknowledged the paradox. Intellectually they understand that Ganga is polluted, but they also talk about her as 'pure' and 'clean' because of her special significance. Anything that goes into the river, no matter how dirty, becomes pure. One man told me that all significant Hindu rituals (birth, death, marriage) must be blessed with Ganga water. Whenever someone travels to one of the cities along the Ganga, they bring home bottles of Ganga water to store until the next time it is needed by the family.There are some environmental groups that are working to create gravity powered sewage treatment plants (electricity goes out too often here to rely on an electric plant) and to work within the cultural frame to shift people's thinking about garbage disposal and waste in the river. They seem to be fighting an uphill battle, but making small progress, one step at a time.
M
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