Environmental Activists Rally to Save the Ganga

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Varanasi, Mar. 31 (ANI): Environment activists and locals in

Varanasi have joined hands for an awareness campaign to save the

holy Ganga [Ganges], one of the most polluted rivers in the world.

 

The activists took out a procession on beautifully lit boats in the

wee hours of Wednesday morning, reminding people of the sacred

origins of the mighty river. The procession route was thronged by

hundreds as residents and tourists gathered at the banks to watch

the illuminated boats floating by on the serene river.

 

Revered as a Mother Goddess by Hindus, the Ganga River, it is

believed, cleanses people of their sins. However, in recent years a

massive influx of human and industrial pollution has turned its

waters into a liquid hell. Though numerous action plans are in

place, little has changed. The river is used by millions and experts

say the only way to sustain conservation is through people's

involvement.

 

"Through this procession we want the people of Varanasi to awaken to

the cause of the Ganga," said Vijay Chaudhry, an organiser of the

event. "They should pay special attention to the river, keep it

clean, keep it pure. They should respect the river."

 

Though a Ganga Action Plan was set up by the federal government in

1985 to cleanse the river, much of the action remains on paper.

 

The Ganga runs its course of over 2,500 kilometers from Gangotri in

the Himalayas to Ganga Sagar in the Bay of Bengal through 29 cities

with a population of over 100,000 each.

 

In 1996, the apex court had banned the discharge of effluents from

various tanneries factories located on its banks in Kanpur.

 

With one billion tonnes of waste being dumped into it everyday, the

Ganga remains one of the most polluted rivers in the world.

 

Source: Kerala News

URL: http://www.newkerala.com/news-daily/news/features.php?

action=fullnews&id=8356