I was born 62 years ago along the banks of the Ganga in the holy city of Varanasi. I have lived all my life in the same house overlooking the river and Tulsi Ghat. And, the Gods willing, I will probably end my days at Tulsi Ghat.
Our holy river is considered a divine Goddess by Hindus the
world over. But she isn't feeling well. I know this, both as a professor of hydrology and also as high priest (Mahant) of a temple. And when I take my holy dip at sunrise every morning at Tulsi Ghat, my soul is sorely split. I want to do my holy dip and I know that the river is severely polluted.
So together with some friends we started the Sankat Mochan Foundation whose main goal is clean-up of the Ganga. The Foundation in turn launched the Campaign for a Clean Ganga on behalf of the 400 million Indians living along the Ganga Basin.
Now, it's a fact that virtually every river in India is filthy, sometimes lethally. This is also true in most of the developing world. But we feel that a start must be made somewhere. So our campaign in Varanasi has launched several programmes. The most important is to make the causes of pollution better known both locally in Varanasi and throughout India.
The main cause of pollution is untreated sewage, which in Varanasi and 113 other cities is dumped directly into the river. So we've put forward a proposal jointly collaborated with the University of California in Berkeley for a cost-effective and safe system for cleaning the Varanasi stretch.This system does not rely on electric power, which can be erratic in northern India. Instead it moves sewage for the force of gravity, into ponds where it is treated biologically.
We're trying to encourage pilgrims and citizens alike to alter those habits that contribute to pollution. Young workers regularly remove plastic bags, flower garlands and assorted litter from the immediate waterfront. This debris is taken to a remote location across the river where we hope to soon launch sorting operations before final burial in lined pits.
We are also conducting seminars and workshops dealing with river pollution. These include awareness programmes for schoolchildren and riverside Hindu priests who conduct rituals along the ghats. These influential priests can play a major role in raising awareness about environmental issues among the public.
For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009
Our holy river is considered a divine Goddess by Hindus the
world over. But she isn't feeling well. I know this, both as a professor of hydrology and also as high priest (Mahant) of a temple. And when I take my holy dip at sunrise every morning at Tulsi Ghat, my soul is sorely split. I want to do my holy dip and I know that the river is severely polluted.So together with some friends we started the Sankat Mochan Foundation whose main goal is clean-up of the Ganga. The Foundation in turn launched the Campaign for a Clean Ganga on behalf of the 400 million Indians living along the Ganga Basin.
Now, it's a fact that virtually every river in India is filthy, sometimes lethally. This is also true in most of the developing world. But we feel that a start must be made somewhere. So our campaign in Varanasi has launched several programmes. The most important is to make the causes of pollution better known both locally in Varanasi and throughout India.
The main cause of pollution is untreated sewage, which in Varanasi and 113 other cities is dumped directly into the river. So we've put forward a proposal jointly collaborated with the University of California in Berkeley for a cost-effective and safe system for cleaning the Varanasi stretch.This system does not rely on electric power, which can be erratic in northern India. Instead it moves sewage for the force of gravity, into ponds where it is treated biologically.
We're trying to encourage pilgrims and citizens alike to alter those habits that contribute to pollution. Young workers regularly remove plastic bags, flower garlands and assorted litter from the immediate waterfront. This debris is taken to a remote location across the river where we hope to soon launch sorting operations before final burial in lined pits.
We are also conducting seminars and workshops dealing with river pollution. These include awareness programmes for schoolchildren and riverside Hindu priests who conduct rituals along the ghats. These influential priests can play a major role in raising awareness about environmental issues among the public.
For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009
An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative
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