Ganga (Ganges), river - Revision history

Pdewan: /* Aquatic life */

2026-01-15T09:44:14Z

‎Aquatic life

Pdewan: /* See also */

2026-01-15T09:36:40Z

‎See also

Jyoti: /* Pollution */

2025-12-04T21:30:28Z

‎Pollution

Jyoti: /* Healing properties */

2022-12-10T20:51:11Z

‎Healing properties

Jyoti: /* 2016-19: water quality worsens */

2022-02-28T20:58:09Z

‎2016-19: water quality worsens

Show changes

Jyoti: /* 2016-19: water quality worsens */

2020-11-18T13:34:33Z

‎2016-19: water quality worsens

Jyoti: /* Less than 33% of urban waste is processed */

2019-03-17T09:24:17Z

‎Less than 33% of urban waste is processed

Jyoti: /* Aquatic life */

2019-02-09T18:56:16Z

‎Aquatic life

Jyoti: /* Cremation in Kashi, ashes in the Ganga */

2019-02-09T18:55:57Z

‎Cremation in Kashi, ashes in the Ganga

Jyoti: /* Route */

2019-02-09T18:53:08Z

‎Route

@@ Line 67: / Line 67: @@
 = Aquatic life=
-== Fish: Blocked at Farakka in 70s; unblocked 2019==
+See [[Ganga (Ganges), river: aquatic life]]
-[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/after-32-years-gates-will-open-in-ganga-allowing-hilsa-to-again-make-the-journey-upstream-to-allahabad/articleshow/67890305.cms  Dipak K Dash, February 9, 2019: ''The Times of India'']
-[[File: The fish corridor on the Ganga.jpg|The fish corridor on the Ganga <br/> From: [https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/after-32-years-gates-will-open-in-ganga-allowing-hilsa-to-again-make-the-journey-upstream-to-allahabad/articleshow/67890305.cms  Dipak K Dash, February 9, 2019: ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]
+[[Category:India|GGANGA (GANGES), RIVERGANGA (GANGES), RIVERGANGA (GANGES), RIVER
+GANGA (GANGES), RIVER]]
-In June 2016, someone forked out Rs 22,000 for a 4 kg hilsa in Bengal’s Howrah. The fish, that had swum down from Myanmar, was indeed a prize catch: it’s rare to find hilsas that large. But the price the shining fish fetched at a bustling wholesale market in Howrah was the ultimate gastronomic measure of how far a fish lover would go to have the bony hilsa on his plate.
+[[Category:Pages with broken file links|GANGA (GANGES), RIVERGANGA (GANGES), RIVERGANGA (GANGES), RIVER
+GANGA (GANGES), RIVER]]
-Now, after a gap of over 40 years, the hilsa will be able to swim down the Ganga all the way up to Allahabad this monsoon.
+[[Category:Rivers|GGANGA (GANGES), RIVERGANGA (GANGES), RIVERGANGA (GANGES), RIVER
+GANGA (GANGES), RIVER]]
-The migration of Hilsa till Allahabad had been possible till a barrage was built across the Ganges at Farakka in Bengal in the 70s. The barrage came with a navigation lock that blocked the free movement of Hilsas.
-−
-This lock has now been redesigned to ensure smooth and safe migration of the hilsa shoal during the three mating seasons, particularly during monsoon. A navigation lock is a device that is used to raise and lower boats and ships between stretches of water on a river.
-−
-“We will open the gates for only eight metres and between 1 am and 5 am, which is the preferred time when Hilsa seeks passage. This provision has been made in consultation with ICARCentral Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Central Water Commission and Farraka Barrage Project Authority. We have designed this inhouse and have saved about Rs 100 crore,” Inland Waterway Authority of India (IWAI) vice-chairman Pravir Pandey told TOI.
-−
-Hilsa has a history of migrating from Bangladesh to Allahabad down the Ganga. Though it’s a salt-water fish, it migrates from the Bay of Bengal to the sweet waters of the Ganges. “Fish often disperse widely over large areas while feeding and spawning. This hilsa migration will lead to an increase in its production in the region. This will also increase the river’s biodiversity and boost the economy of local fishermen,” a shipping ministry spokesperson said.
-−
-In recent years, overall catch of hilsa has reduced as overfishing, pollution and spawning have taken their toll on fish stocks. The navigation lock being built at a cost of Rs 361 crore as a part of Jal Marg Vikas Pariyojna will be operational from June.
 =Cremation in Kashi, ashes in the Ganga=

@@ Line 13,298: / Line 13,298: @@
 =See also=
 [[Ganga (Ganges), river ]]
 [[Ganga (Ganges): cleaning the river ]]
 [[Inland water transport: India]]

@@ Line 416: / Line 416: @@
 It is worse in smaller towns with population between 1.2-5 lakh, like Mirzapur and Farukkhabad, where 84% of the sludge remains untreated. In these towns, 85% of the population is not connected to sewerage network and is dependent on onsite sanitation systems like septic tanks and pits. From there, a major chunk of the sludge ends up in open drains, nullahs, or open fields, and then into the river. This untreated sludge also seeps down to the ground water, which then finds its way back to households.
-[[Category:India|G
+=Streamflow=
 GANGA (GANGES), RIVER]]
-[[Category:Pages with broken file links|GANGA (GANGES), RIVER]]
+[[Category:Pages with broken file links|GANGA (GANGES), RIVER
-[[Category:Rivers|G
+GANGA (GANGES), RIVER]]
 GANGA (GANGES), RIVER]]

@@ Line 116: / Line 116: @@
 Last year, the National Green Tribunal had said religious leaders, governments and civic agencies must help change mindsets and promote ecofriendly methods of cremation.The Ganga may well prove to be a litmus test for the Yogi Adityanath regime.
-= Healing properties=
+=Healing properties=
 ==Does not putrefy easily despite pollution==
 [[File: Ganga the bacteria killer.jpg| |frame|500px]]
@@ Line 128: / Line 128: @@
 The team collected samples from the highly polluted Haridwar-Varanasi stretch.Also part of the project were National Environment Engineering Research Institute co-ordinating lab, National Botanical Research Institute, Indian Institute of Toxicology Research and Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants.
 =Impact on lives=

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:34, 18 November 2020
Line 239:		Line 239:

	It said, “Analysis of water quality monitoring data of CPCB for these two stations located on main stem of Ganga in Varanasi for the month of January for period 2016-19 indicates that minimum value of DO varied between 6.7 to 7.6 mg/L and indicated healthy state of river.”		It said, “Analysis of water quality monitoring data of CPCB for these two stations located on main stem of Ganga in Varanasi for the month of January for period 2016-19 indicates that minimum value of DO varied between 6.7 to 7.6 mg/L and indicated healthy state of river.”
		+
		+	==Human excrement: 2019==
		+	[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2020%2F11%2F13&entity=Ar02727&sk=6E300F9C&mode=text Shobita Dhar, November ''The Times of India'']
		+
		+	In 21 priority cities and towns along the Ganga, 60% of the population’s excreta is directly or indirectly dumped into the river, causing water pollution, says a study by the Centre of Science and Environment (CSE). It maps the entire route of faecal waste from the start to end in places including Rishikesh, Bijnor, Kanpur, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Patna and Haldia.
		+
		+	The study, which was conducted over a period of three years, has been presented to the National Mission for Clean Ganga in a bid to demonstrate the “breakdown in sanitation value chains” through a data-driven approach. In cities with more than 5 lakh population — Kanpur, Prayagraj, Varanasi and Patna — 52% of the faecal sludge produced is not safely managed.
		+
		+	It is worse in smaller towns with population between 1.2-5 lakh, like Mirzapur and Farukkhabad, where 84% of the sludge remains untreated. In these towns, 85% of the population is not connected to sewerage network and is dependent on onsite sanitation systems like septic tanks and pits. From there, a major chunk of the sludge ends up in open drains, nullahs, or open fields, and then into the river. This untreated sludge also seeps down to the ground water, which then finds its way back to households.
		+
		+	[[Category:India\|G
		+	GANGA (GANGES), RIVER]]
		+	[[Category:Pages with broken file links\|GANGA (GANGES), RIVER]]
		+	[[Category:Rivers\|G
		+	GANGA (GANGES), RIVER]]

	=Government efforts to save the Ganga=		=Government efforts to save the Ganga=

@@ Line 195: / Line 195: @@
 [[File: Waste management, number of towns and MSW quantity.jpg|Waste management, number of towns and MSW quantity <br/> From: [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F10%2F22&entity=Ar01303&sk=FAF8E21D&mode=text  Dipak Dash, October 22, 2018: ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]
 Less than onethird of the municipal solid waste generated in the 97 cities and towns along Ganga is processed, posing a major challenge to clean the river. The urban affairs ministry has proposed to focus on segregating wet and dry waste to deal with the crisis rather than waiting for new waste processing plants to be ready.
@@ Line 201: / Line 202: @@
 UP has the second highest share of 3,275 tonnes of garbage generated daily while Bihar generates about 15% of the total solid waste. Data show that West Bengal has been lagging behind in comparison to other four states through which Ganga passes. The state government is yet to prepare the detailed project reports for processing 4,884 tonnes of garbage while existing plants can treat 653 tonnes of municipal waste per day. The urban affairs ministry has proposed decentralised composting of wet waste in these cities and towns, which will take care of about 40-60% of the total municipal refuse generated daily. Another 20-30% of the waste, which is dry, can be recycled or reused and the rest 5-10% of the construction and inert waste processed for building materials.
 =Government efforts to save the Ganga=

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:56, 9 February 2019
Line 85:		Line 85:

	In recent years, overall catch of hilsa has reduced as overfishing, pollution and spawning have taken their toll on fish stocks. The navigation lock being built at a cost of Rs 361 crore as a part of Jal Marg Vikas Pariyojna will be operational from June.		In recent years, overall catch of hilsa has reduced as overfishing, pollution and spawning have taken their toll on fish stocks. The navigation lock being built at a cost of Rs 361 crore as a part of Jal Marg Vikas Pariyojna will be operational from June.
		+
		+	=Cremation in Kashi, ashes in the Ganga=
		+	==The impact, as in 2017==
		+	[http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=Ganga-continues-to-carry-burden-of-faith-28092017006021 Rashi Lal, Ganga continues to carry burden of faith, September 28, 2017: ''The Times of India'']
		+
		+	[[File: Some facts about the river Ganga and the cleaning strategy, Namami Gange, and disastrous impact of cremation and throwing ashes in the river.jpg\|Some facts about the river Ganga and the cleaning strategy, Namami Gange, and disastrous impact of cremation and throwing ashes in the river; [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=Ganga-continues-to-carry-burden-of-faith-28092017006021 Rashi Lal, Ganga continues to carry burden of faith, September 28, 2017: ''The Times of India'']\|frame\|500px]]
		+
		+	[[File: Impact of creamation rituals and throwing ashes in the river Ganga, Allahabad and Varanasi.jpg\|Impact of creamation rituals and throwing ashes in the river Ganga, Allahabad and Varanasi; [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=Ganga-continues-to-carry-burden-of-faith-28092017006021 Rashi Lal, Ganga continues to carry burden of faith, September 28, 2017: ''The Times of India'']\|frame\|500px]]
		+
		+	''CHANGE IN DISCOURSE? Experts Say A Major Threat To The River Is Ritualism; Centre and State Need To Promote Rational Practices''
		+
		+	In Uttar Pradesh, they don't say `Ganga'. For them, it's `Gangaji,' a source of their suste nance and salvation. It's with this belief that scores throng the ghats in Varanasi to perform rituals and immerse ashes in the river.
		+
		+	Arjun Maurya, a resident of neighbouring Jaunpur, has just cremated his father at Manikarnika Ghat. He says, “Cremation in Kashi and immersing ashes in the Ganga have been a matter of faith for generations.It is believed that the body is made of `panch tatva' (five elements). How will Ganga's water, which is one of the five, get polluted if these elements mix?“ At Dashashwamedh Ghat, Vimlesh Kumar Mehra, who has come all the way from Jharkhand to immerse the ashes of his father, says, “Ganga descended on earth to provide salvation to people... Last rites do not pollute the Ganga, sewage and industrial effluents do.“
		+
		+	This the challenge that faith poses to efforts aimed at rejuvenating the river. Experts say you can stop a polluting industry with a court order, but how do you stop a man who has lost his mother from acting on his belief that immersing her ashes in the Ganga will get her moksha?
		+
		+	This burden of faith has been borne by the Ganga for centuries. Ages ago, the rationale was that the ashes-a collection of calcium, phosphates and other minerals from the human body--made the water mineralrich. And that was a boon for farmlands.
		+
		+	“Today , the ritual is misunderstood, and we see half-burnt bodies thrown into the river.Even our scriptures prohibit immersion of bodies in rivers,“ says Lucknow-based river scientist Venkatesh Dutta. Nearly 33,000 bodies are cremated by the riverbanks in Varanasi alone every year. This requires 16,000 tonnes of wood and generates 800 tonnes of ashes.
		+
		+	Former geology professor at Lucknow University IB Singh, who has worked extensively on the Ganga, has a stark insight.“If you live on faith, the river will die. Faith was okay when population was low. Now, it's not a religious problem but a social one. If we talk about scriptures, even defecation in the Ganga is prohibited. But with so many living on the banks of rivers and jostling for space, where will one go?“ Today , Varanasi's population has grown to 36 lakh, while it's 59 lakh in Allahabad-that's part of the matrix which the NDA government has to weave into its flagship initiatives including Namami Gange and the dedicated Ganga rejuvenation wing. It will, obviously, take more than a strong dose of rationality to turn the course.
		+
		+	However, social scientist and former JNU professor Purushottam Agarwal says that when it comes to faith, awareness cannot be imposed. “A sustained campaign not on sentiment but rationality needs to be launched with focus on environment,“ he says. “Unfortunately , anybody who talks about religion is seen as hurting sentiments.“
		+
		+	Agreeing with him, Parveen Kaswan, an Indian Forest Service officer who has campaigned for the issue, says one can't raise questions on faith.According to him, the best way to bring about change is to associate faith with cleaning or protecting the river. On happy occasions like birth or marriage, he says people should be persuaded to plant a tree next to the river or clean it.
		+
		+	One BJP government in an adjoining state has already taken the lead in propagating a more rational approach to the question. Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, earlier this year, urged ritualists to desist from immersing ashes in the Narmada. And he said if ashes had to be immersed, make do with a pinch and scatter the rest in your fields.
		+
		+	Last year, the National Green Tribunal had said religious leaders, governments and civic agencies must help change mindsets and promote ecofriendly methods of cremation.The Ganga may well prove to be a litmus test for the Yogi Adityanath regime.

	= Healing properties=		= Healing properties=

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:55, 9 February 2019
Line 842:		Line 842:

	ITS- Industrial Township		ITS- Industrial Township
−
−	~~=Cremation in Kashi, ashes in the Ganga=~~
−	~~==The impact, as in 2017==~~
−	[http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=Ganga-continues-to-carry-burden-of-faith-28092017006021 Rashi Lal, Ganga continues to carry burden of faith, September 28, 2017: The Times of India]
−
−	[[File: Some facts about the river Ganga and the cleaning strategy, Namami Gange, and disastrous impact of cremation and throwing ashes in the river.jpg\|Some facts about the river Ganga and the cleaning strategy, Namami Gange, and disastrous impact of cremation and throwing ashes in the river; [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=Ganga-continues-to-carry-burden-of-faith-28092017006021 Rashi Lal, Ganga continues to carry burden of faith, September 28, 2017: The Times of India]\|frame\|500px]]
−
−	[[File: Impact of creamation rituals and throwing ashes in the river Ganga, Allahabad and Varanasi.jpg\|Impact of creamation rituals and throwing ashes in the river Ganga, Allahabad and Varanasi; [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=Ganga-continues-to-carry-burden-of-faith-28092017006021 Rashi Lal, Ganga continues to carry burden of faith, September 28, 2017: The Times of India]\|frame\|500px]]
−
−	~~''CHANGE IN DISCOURSE? Experts Say A Major Threat To The River Is Ritualism; Centre and State Need To Promote Rational Practices''~~
−
−	In Uttar Pradesh, they don't say `Ganga'. For them, it's `Gangaji,' a source of their suste nance and salvation. It's with this belief that scores throng the ghats in Varanasi to perform rituals and immerse ashes in the river.
−
−	Arjun Maurya, a resident of neighbouring Jaunpur, has just cremated his father at Manikarnika Ghat. He says, “Cremation in Kashi and immersing ashes in the Ganga have been a matter of faith for generations.It is believed that the body is made of `panch tatva' (five elements). How will Ganga's water, which is one of the five, get polluted if these elements mix?“ At Dashashwamedh Ghat, Vimlesh Kumar Mehra, who has come all the way from Jharkhand to immerse the ashes of his father, says, “Ganga descended on earth to provide salvation to people... Last rites do not pollute the Ganga, sewage and industrial effluents do.“
−
−	This the challenge that faith poses to efforts aimed at rejuvenating the river. Experts say you can stop a polluting industry with a court order, but how do you stop a man who has lost his mother from acting on his belief that immersing her ashes in the Ganga will get her moksha?
−
−	This burden of faith has been borne by the Ganga for centuries. Ages ago, the rationale was that the ashes-a collection of calcium, phosphates and other minerals from the human body--made the water mineralrich. And that was a boon for farmlands.
−
−	“Today , the ritual is misunderstood, and we see half-burnt bodies thrown into the river.Even our scriptures prohibit immersion of bodies in rivers,“ says Lucknow-based river scientist Venkatesh Dutta. Nearly 33,000 bodies are cremated by the riverbanks in Varanasi alone every year. This requires 16,000 tonnes of wood and generates 800 tonnes of ashes.
−
−	Former geology professor at Lucknow University IB Singh, who has worked extensively on the Ganga, has a stark insight.“If you live on faith, the river will die. Faith was okay when population was low. Now, it's not a religious problem but a social one. If we talk about scriptures, even defecation in the Ganga is prohibited. But with so many living on the banks of rivers and jostling for space, where will one go?“ Today , Varanasi's population has grown to 36 lakh, while it's 59 lakh in Allahabad-that's part of the matrix which the NDA government has to weave into its flagship initiatives including Namami Gange and the dedicated Ganga rejuvenation wing. It will, obviously, take more than a strong dose of rationality to turn the course.
−
−	However, social scientist and former JNU professor Purushottam Agarwal says that when it comes to faith, awareness cannot be imposed. “A sustained campaign not on sentiment but rationality needs to be launched with focus on environment,“ he says. “Unfortunately , anybody who talks about religion is seen as hurting sentiments.“
−
−	Agreeing with him, Parveen Kaswan, an Indian Forest Service officer who has campaigned for the issue, says one can't raise questions on faith.According to him, the best way to bring about change is to associate faith with cleaning or protecting the river. On happy occasions like birth or marriage, he says people should be persuaded to plant a tree next to the river or clean it.
−
−	One BJP government in an adjoining state has already taken the lead in propagating a more rational approach to the question. Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, earlier this year, urged ritualists to desist from immersing ashes in the Narmada. And he said if ashes had to be immersed, make do with a pinch and scatter the rest in your fields.
−
−	Last year, the National Green Tribunal had said religious leaders, governments and civic agencies must help change mindsets and promote ecofriendly methods of cremation.The Ganga may well prove to be a litmus test for the Yogi Adityanath regime.

	=List of villages on the Ganga...=		=List of villages on the Ganga...=

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:53, 9 February 2019
Line 65:		Line 65:

	“The first successful CORONA mission was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in 1960. The satellite acquired photographs with a telescopic camera system and loaded the exposed film into recovery capsules. The capsules or buckets were de-orbited and retrieved by aircraft while the capsules parachuted to earth. The exposed film was developed and the images were analysed for a range of military applications,” said the USGS on its website.		“The first successful CORONA mission was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in 1960. The satellite acquired photographs with a telescopic camera system and loaded the exposed film into recovery capsules. The capsules or buckets were de-orbited and retrieved by aircraft while the capsules parachuted to earth. The exposed film was developed and the images were analysed for a range of military applications,” said the USGS on its website.
		+
		+	= Aquatic life=
		+	== Fish: Blocked at Farakka in 70s; unblocked 2019==
		+	[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/after-32-years-gates-will-open-in-ganga-allowing-hilsa-to-again-make-the-journey-upstream-to-allahabad/articleshow/67890305.cms Dipak K Dash, February 9, 2019: ''The Times of India'']
		+
		+	[[File: The fish corridor on the Ganga.jpg\|The fish corridor on the Ganga <br/> From: [https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/after-32-years-gates-will-open-in-ganga-allowing-hilsa-to-again-make-the-journey-upstream-to-allahabad/articleshow/67890305.cms Dipak K Dash, February 9, 2019: ''The Times of India'']\|frame\|500px]]
		+
		+	In June 2016, someone forked out Rs 22,000 for a 4 kg hilsa in Bengal’s Howrah. The fish, that had swum down from Myanmar, was indeed a prize catch: it’s rare to find hilsas that large. But the price the shining fish fetched at a bustling wholesale market in Howrah was the ultimate gastronomic measure of how far a fish lover would go to have the bony hilsa on his plate.
		+
		+	Now, after a gap of over 40 years, the hilsa will be able to swim down the Ganga all the way up to Allahabad this monsoon.
		+
		+	The migration of Hilsa till Allahabad had been possible till a barrage was built across the Ganges at Farakka in Bengal in the 70s. The barrage came with a navigation lock that blocked the free movement of Hilsas.
		+
		+	This lock has now been redesigned to ensure smooth and safe migration of the hilsa shoal during the three mating seasons, particularly during monsoon. A navigation lock is a device that is used to raise and lower boats and ships between stretches of water on a river.
		+
		+	“We will open the gates for only eight metres and between 1 am and 5 am, which is the preferred time when Hilsa seeks passage. This provision has been made in consultation with ICARCentral Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Central Water Commission and Farraka Barrage Project Authority. We have designed this inhouse and have saved about Rs 100 crore,” Inland Waterway Authority of India (IWAI) vice-chairman Pravir Pandey told TOI.
		+
		+	Hilsa has a history of migrating from Bangladesh to Allahabad down the Ganga. Though it’s a salt-water fish, it migrates from the Bay of Bengal to the sweet waters of the Ganges. “Fish often disperse widely over large areas while feeding and spawning. This hilsa migration will lead to an increase in its production in the region. This will also increase the river’s biodiversity and boost the economy of local fishermen,” a shipping ministry spokesperson said.
		+
		+	In recent years, overall catch of hilsa has reduced as overfishing, pollution and spawning have taken their toll on fish stocks. The navigation lock being built at a cost of Rs 361 crore as a part of Jal Marg Vikas Pariyojna will be operational from June.

	= Healing properties=		= Healing properties=