Our holy river Ganga begins as a crystal clear river high in the icy Himalayas but pollution and excessive usage transforms it into toxic sludge on its journey through burgeoning cities, industrial hubs and past millions of devotees. The major causes behind the deterioration of the water body are: increase in population density, activities such as bathing, washing clothes, bathing of animals, and dumping of large quantities of detrimental industrial waste into the river.

Worshipped by a billion Hindus and a water source for 400 million, "Mother Ganga" is dying, despite decades of government efforts to save it. Below are 22 pictures that show glimpses of the majestic river and how it is being eaten up by the ill effects of pollution. 

1. Hindu priests sit inside a cave as they perform evening prayers on the banks of the river Ganges in Devprayag, India.

2. A Hindu devotee holds up his clothes after taking a dip in the river Ganges in Devprayag, India.

3. Polluted water in the river Ganges is seen in Kanpur, India. 

4. Layers of foam float in a sewage drain flowing into the river Ganges in Kanpur, India.

5. Untreated sewage flows from an open drain into the river Ganges in Mirzapur, India. 

6. A boy runs past a pile of garbage along the river Ganges in Mirzapur, India.

7. Dyed leather pieces dry near the banks of the river Ganges in Kanpur, India.

8. A damaged idol of Hindu goddess Kali is seen in the river Ganges in Haridwar, India. 

9. Untreated sewage from a residential area flows into the river Ganges in Mirzapur, India.

10. A man cleans garbage along the banks of the river Ganges in Kolkata, India. 

11. Relatives immerse a body in the river Ganges prior to cremation in Varanasi, India. 

Reuters

12. A man sits next to a damaged idol of Hindu goddess Kali which was taken out after its immersion in the river Ganges in Haridwar, India.

Reuters

13. Lokesh Sharma, 19, a Hindu priest, performs evening prayers on the banks of the river Ganges in Devprayag, India. 

Reuters

14. Labourers work at brick kilns along the river Ganges in Raytala, south of Kolkata, India.

Reuters

15. A man washes himself on the banks of the river Ganges in Varanasi, India. 

Reuters

16. Untreated sewage flows from an open drain into the river Ganges in Kanpur, India.

Reuters

17. An employee works inside a leather tannery at an industrial area in Kanpur, India.

Reuters

18. People sleep on the banks of the river Ganges in Varanasi, India. 

Reuters

19. A portrait of Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, is seen on a boat on the banks of the river Ganges in Varanasi, India. 

Reuters

20. Devotees carry an idol of Lord Vishwakarma, the Hindu deity of architecture and machinery, to immerse it into the waters of the river Ganga in Kolkata, India.

Reuters

21. A devotee carries an idol of the Hindu elephant god Ganesh.

Reuters

22. People ride a ferry on the river Ganges in Kolkata, India. 

Image credit: Reuters, article copied from Indiatimes

8/23/2017 | | Permalink