top of page
Search

The importance of the Ganges river and its contribution to water pollution by Cristina Ruiz

  • crisrhdetoro
  • Jan 22, 2025
  • 6 min read

The Ganga river, considered sacred by the Hindus who view it as ‘mother Ganga’, flows through well populated regions in India providing a substantial amount of resources such as freshwater, food, and irrigation. Half of the total area of the Ganges basin is under cultivation, one third of the land is irrigated, and overall is one of the most intensely farmed areas in the world. The river is also perceived as a holy ground for many religious Hindu followers who use it to prove their devotion to nature as well as to remove any sin (paap) and bad karma of past lives. People are seen routinely bathing in this spiritual water while they are still on this earth and have their ashes cast away into the river when they have passed away. However, despite its religious significance, it is one of the most polluted rivers in the world with high chemical contamination. The water pollution is caused by various sources including sewage runoff, waste from Indian industries, cremations, shrinkage of Himalayan glaciers, and other rituals. These high levels of contamination make the water nearly lethal and a danger to all those who want to partake in the rituals, and has also severely limited the amount of access to clean water for many citizens. While it is important to recognize the religious significance of this river to the Hindu culture, it is also necessary to understand the environmental deterioration that not only the rituals themselves, but the modernization of the world around it has caused to the Ganga. 


The Ganges river is one of the most sacred bodies of water for Hindus. The water embodies many symbolic representations such as purification, health and wellbeing, as well as is a location for many rituals and ceremonies to be held. A dip in its waters is believed to relieve oneself from any sins and bring about spiritual liberation. With it comes varying symbolism such as a representation of life, renewal, and transformation. As mentioned by author Georgina Drew in her book River Dialogues, some of the many rituals and ceremonies often held on the banks of the Ganga include: Ganga Aarti, a daily ritual held at sunrise and sunset where priests light lamps and offer prayers to the goddess Ganga (Drew, 13), The Kumbh Mela, one of the largest Hindu pilgrimages that occurs every twelve years and is believed that bathing during this ritual will cleanse a person of their sins (Drew, 77), and the Shraddha ceremony, an offering to one’s deceased ancestors to guide them to attain peace and happiness in their next life. During these rituals many drink the river water as pure water is considered essential for maintaining good health and preventing diseases. Lastly, Hindus are strongly bonded to the environment and nature around them; thus, they consider water sacred and worthy of protection. However, they are left unaware that these waters are a potential danger to their lives, and that their religious rituals could in part be making it that way.


The Ganges river is one of the most polluted rivers in the world. The pollution is caused by a combination of factors: rapid modernization, industrialization, population growth and religious rituals. India has undergone rapid industrialization, leading to the growth of industries as well as urbanization along the banks of the river. This has led to a lot of untreated sewage runoff to be discharged into the river, therefore producing copious levels of bacterial and chemical contamination. The rise in agriculture has also contributed to the chemical contamination by virtue of the use of pesticides and fertilizers. 


Religious rituals have also contributed greatly to the pollution. Some of the ways in which they contribute to this is with the immersion of human remains, offerings of flowers and food, immersion of idols and religious objects, and use of chemical products. The immersion of human remains in the Ganga river is a common practice in Hinduism where the family of a deceased brings them to the Ganga river in order for them to achieve Moksha, a release from the endless cycle of suffering and rebirth. By being immersed in the Ganga river it is believed that they will receive immediate purification of any sins they may have committed in their lives. Many families make the pilgrimage to the holy city of Varanasi where most cremation ceremonies take place. It is believed that if you are cremated there your rebirth cycle will end and you will reach Nirvana. During the ceremony the ashes are released into the river and carried away, symbolizing the releasing of the soul from the body. However, because this ceremony is so expensive, many families cannot afford the cremation process. Thus, they turn to releasing the corpse to float down the river before it has decomposed. This immersion of human remains can release harmful bacteria and pathogens into the water. According to author Niry Fidelis, there are also other exceptions to who is permitted to be cremated within Hindu culture including: holy men, pregnant women, people with leprosy or children with chicken pox, people who have been bitten by snakes, those who commit suicide, prostitutes, the poor, and children before the age of five. An exception who is considered unholy is buried in the ground or taken to the middle of the Ganges where they are dropped to the bottom of the river with a weighted stone. Prior to the high level of contamination, the river had an abundance of crocodiles which would eat the corpses of those who had not been cremated; however, with the pollution it became uninhabitable by these creatures, leaving the corpses to rot instead. Before modernization, rituals used products which came from natural sources, such as flowers, leaves, and turmeric; however, now most of the products are made from chemicals like lead oxide or aluminum. Decorations and offerings often contain synthetic materials like dyes and paints, which are then released into the water. Another common Hindu ritual is the offering of food and flowers to the river as a gesture of devotion. Although it is organic matter, it can lead to the growth of bacteria and other microorganisms. The last source of pollution comes from the defecation that often takes place along the river.  Reasons for this space as a popular defecation spot may include a lack of proper sanitation facilities and the Hindu belief that performing religious rituals including defecation can bring spiritual purification.  


Although the Ganges river is heavily polluted, there have been attempts to reduce the impact and restore what has already been damaged. In 2011, the world bank targeted the Ganges pollution issue by launching The National Ganga river basin project. This was a one billion dollar investment into the water sanitation department and waste management in India. The act detailed how there were environmental and human rights on the line. The high levels of pollutants has affected the availability of clean water consumption for many citizens and has exposed many to waterborne diseases. It has also led to biodiversity and habitat loss for a variety of aquatic life, including endangered native species greatly contributing to climate change. While this was a small step in the right direction, there was still a lot of pollution being produced in India.  Nevertheless, the year 2020 was promising for the reduction of pollution due to the natural cleansing given the forced shut down. Fewer rituals were being performed and there were fewer running industries. Another attempt at cleaning the river was with the Ganga action plan in 2013 where prime minister Narendra Modi positioned himself in Varanasi, for some of the more publicly visible segments of his party’s election campaign. He stated that Ma Ganga called him to Varanasi and that seeing her current state, he resolved to do everything in his power as prime minister to clean the sacred river once and for all. (Drew, 255)


In conclusion, the pollution of the Ganga river is one of the many examples of religious rituals which led to the deterioration of environmental resources. Even with the sacredness and powerful religious significance, it is us humans that are rapidly damaging it with our actions. The state of our environment is far too crucial, and we therefore need to rethink every aspect of our actions despite their religious significance. Perhaps it is our turn to take small but meaningful steps to truly purify the waters that have been purifying the dead in Hindu culture.


References

 
 
 

Comments

Commenting on this post isn't available anymore. Contact the site owner for more info.
bottom of page