There have been Ganga Action Plans and yet, tragically, the state of Ganga — despite the previous Plans — is worsening day by day. Water borne illnesses due to bacteria, toxins and parasites in the water, and food borne illnesses due to agriculture contaminated by to toxic irrigation are reaching epidemic proportions. With Ganga irrigating the fields that feed more than 1/3 of India’s population, with Ganga being the sole source of water for bathing, cooking and drinking for millions of people and with Ganga symbolizing the national heritage and identity of India, the situation has become truly critical.
As we take a look at the specific problems and issues that face the river, we will see that they are multifaceted and dynamic. The scope of the issues and thereby their solutions involve several stakeholders from all different walks of life and skill sets. GAP realizes and understands that the true solution can only come from working together, as one family, to tackle each challenge facing Ganga.
Organization
To comprehend the broad scope of the issues and solutions facing the river we have organized the following section in a few different ways to facilitate understanding.
The river is geographically organized. The river is shared by Nepal, India, and Bangladesh, which makes them all stakeholders in her restoration efforts. Then she flows through five states and drains or provides water to eleven states, nearly one half of the Indian population, making her of national significance. Finally as each Indian state and city has a different geographical location and landscape along the river the issues and solutions vary somewhat for each of them.
Here are three broad geographical scopes for you to explore to learn more:
- International Relations
- National Issues
- Regional/Local Issues
It is important to note that none of these categories function in isolation they are all linked and connected and sometimes overlapping with each other.
National
We will seek to look at the issues from several different angles and cover many different threats and competing needs of the river, showing how our solutions and actions can be beneficial for all stakeholders. As we learn more we will understand and began to appreciate the intricate and multidimensional nature of the challenge.
The issues vary and change as the move along the stretch of the river due in part to the geographic location and river landscape. Here is a brief summary of some of the main issues challenging each of the three main sections of the River Ganga:·
- Upper Stretch (Gangotri to Rishikesh)
- Shrinking of Glacier
- Landslide, erosion
- Ecological impacts of large number of hydel projects
- Tourism
- Waste disposal (relatively smaller magnitude)
- Middle Stretch (Haridwar to Varanasi)
- Most stressed portion
- Discharge of untreated and partially treated wastewater from domestic and industrial sources
- Large scale withdrawal of surface and groundwater for ever increasing irrigation, industrial and domestic use leading to low flow or no flow conditions in Ganga and its tributaries
- Lower Stretch (Varanasi to Ganga Sagar)
- Discharge of untreated and partially treated domestic and industrial wastewater