Unholy mess: Cleaning up the Ganga, Hindustan Times

 link to hindustan times. 

Furquan Ameen Siddiqui | Hindustan Times | June 06, 2014.

·       Since GAP was launched in 1986, the nature of the problem has changed, explains Dr BD Tripathi, a professor at the Banaras Hindu University, and a member of National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA).

·       “We have to now deal with what I term as a triple R problem — Reduced water carrying capacity, Reduced quality, and Reduced water flow.” The inflow of tonnes of sewage and solid waste has resulted in the increased accumulation of silt on the river bed which, in turn, has reduced the water carrying capacity. On the upper reaches of the Ganga (on the Bhagirathi, Mandakini, Alaknanda and other rivers) the flow of the river is severely checked by a number of hydroelectric projects that are either already operational or under construction. Fixing the river will also require more efficient agricultural practices. Over 90% of the water is diverted for watering fields — mostly through three canals at Haridwar, Bijnor and Narora —  contributing to a massive decline in the volume of the river.

·       Modi has said that he wants to replicate the Sabarmati model. However, the issue is much more complex when it comes to the Ganga. “The Sabarmati is about 370 km long and the Ganga is 2,525 km. The ecosystems are different,” says Tripathi.