Arya Samaj

Mitra

Ganga gets more water after sadhus threaten mass suicide

Deccan Chronicle

The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to release 5,000 cusecs of water into the Ganga following the threat issued by the sadhus and saints attending the Ardh Kumbh Mela that they would take “jal samadhi’ if they did not get fresh water in the Ganga
The Ganga in Allahabad has not only become highly polluted, following discharge by tanneries in Kanpur, but the water level has also receded drastically in recent months.

Mahant Shivanand Brahmachari of Pune, who has set up his ashram at the mela ground, says, “This has never happened before. There is barely waist-deep water in the Ganga in midstream. The majority of the pilgrims are actually bathing in the Yamuna instead of the Ganga. The entire purpose of coming for the Ardh Kumbh is being defeated. The sadhus are naturally upset and have threatened mass suicide if water is not released into the Ganga.”

Reacting promptly to the sadhus’ threat, UP chief secretary Navin Chandra Bajpai, who visited Allahabad on Monday, has said that the state government would release 5,000 cusecs water before the next bathing day, which is Makar Sankranti on January 14-15. “We are releasing 4,500 cusec water into the Ganga from the Narora dam and 500 cusec water from the Kanpur barrage. This will ensure sufficient water in the Ganga on Makar Sankranti, and also wash away pollutants to a large extent,” he told reporters.

The chief secretary further said that tanneries had been directed not to release pollutants into the Ganga, and action had been taken against six tanneries in Unnao and 58 tanneries in Kanpur that were found to be violating the directive. A quality check of water in the river is also being done on a regular basis. The water quantity and quality in the Ganga has been so poor during this season that most pilgrims from adjoining districts have returned without taking a holy dip in the river.

“It is only the pilgrims who are camping here who go for a holy dip, and they too prefer a dip in the Yamuna. The water in the Ganga is dark grey in colour and tastes horrendous. There are very few people who are taking back cans of Gangajal because the water looks visibly dirty and black when you fill up the cans,” says Pandit Sudhansu Tiwari, a local priest. The various akharas, too, have threatened to return without taking the holy dip on the main bathing day, which is Mauni Amavasya on January 19, if the water in the Ganga is not recharged and cleansed by then.

(Source)

Sunita · Arya Ladies Forum Moderator Joined: 24 May 2006 Posts: 567

Very interesting Mitraji, thanks for sharing the news. Make us feel connected.

Prabhat · Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 11:02 pm Post subject:

whats " 5,000 cusecs "

but isnt the ganga a streaming water Confused

i always thought it is a very clean water.
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Namaste,
Prabhat

Sunita · Arya Ladies Forum Moderator Joined: 24 May 2006 Posts: 567

I thought the same Prabhatji.

Shyena · Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 4:07 pm Post subject:

Ganga being pure nowadays, is a myth. Although blessed with bacteriophagous waters it is horribly used by industries and people alike.
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Krinvanto Vishwam Aryam meditate

Namaste

Prabhat · Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 9:40 pm Post subject:

Shyena · Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 6:09 am Post subject:

From what I read, yes...

There is this particular kind of dolphin found only in ganga's waters which is facing extinction thanks to the pollution. I dont know what the government is talking about, but what they do will simply not save these dolphins.
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Krinvanto Vishwam Aryam meditate

Namaste

Prabhat · Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 5:07 pm Post subject:

Namaste,
so are these foreign companies, or indian companies. who drops waste in the water.

and dont they have respect for other peoples believe, or is money talking
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Namaste,
Prabhat

Mitra · Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2007 6:38 pm Post subject:

The industries which cause the pollution are not foreign. They are all Indian.
Everyone blames the tanneries - the small leather industries owned by muslims where they clean and cure the animal skins to make leather. They use many harmful chemicals for the process - all of which are very coolly left to flow into Ganga. The govt gives threats that it will close the tanneries which dont have chrome - removal units but the leather industry employs 50000 people in this area and is a booming industry plus .

But actually, the Ganga is polluted mostly by the large and thickly populated cities on its banks. Before it reaches Varanasi, the river is not polluted , but from varanasi on wards the population rises very much in the region . The sewage from all the cities flows into Ganga. The govt has spent some thousands of millions ( it seems ) from 1980's to improve the situation, and even the Dutch and British govts are providing help, but there are no results. You can understand how bad the administration is.

And lastly, Ganga is polluted by the very Hindus who worship it - animal and human dead bodies are left in it to rot and spread disease. And lakhs of people come to it in the Kumbh Melas and add to the pollution . The situation was like this even in times of GandhiJi who says he found Varanasi very filthy.

So what does worshipping / respecting the river mean to Hindus? What is this concept of teerthayatra that brings so many people to these holy lands just to destroy them.
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Namaste
Manurbhava

Shishya · Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2007 9:21 pm Post subject:

Namaste,

I just found an interesting news story related to this:

Millions Bathe in India's Ganges

Apparently, the river has been 'flushed'.

What a choice of words. Laughing

_________________
Namaste,

Shishya
ॐ

ॐ सह नावतु । सह तौ भुनक्तु । सह वीर्यं करवावहै । तेजस्वि नावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै ॥
"Together may we be protected. Together may we be profited. Together may we do a hero's work. May we learn intelligently. May we never hate one another."
-Brihadaranyaka & Taittiriya Upanishads

Prabhat · Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2007 10:53 pm Post subject:

Namaste Mitra,

So what does worshipping / respecting the river mean to Hindus? What is this concept of teerthayatra that brings so many people to these holy lands just to destroy them.

i think they wil be saved

The industries which cause the pollution are not foreign. They are all Indian.
Everyone blames the tanneries - the small leather industries owned by muslims where they clean and cure the animal skins to make leather. They use many harmful chemicals for the process - all of which are very coolly left to flow into Ganga. The govt gives threats that it will close the tanneries which dont have chrome - removal units but the leather industry employs 50000 people in this area and is a booming industry plus .

And ones again, money talks
_________________
Namaste,
Prabhat