All great civilizations have flourished alongside rivers. In India, the river Ganges is sacred for Hindus and equally important for people of other faiths(atheists included). Every single day tons and tons of industrial waste, sewage drains,and what not is dumped into this perennial river. It’s astonishing to see that such things go unabated, certainly they are not going unnoticed. World bank lent India a Billion dollars to clean up this mess across the entire river network. 400 million people are dependent on this river one way or the other. Will India and it’s people make a difference to their lives and to their river?
     Everyone knows what the problem is, where the problem is and what can be done to mitigate it. But we are so caught up in our own lives and unimportant indulgences, that we put the onus back on the government. That government which is not guaranteed to run its full term, that government which is too busy serving the needs and interests of a selected elite.
     It remains to be seen how those billions of dollars are eaten away in the name of Ganges. It’s not the first time where something of paramount importance and utterly urgent issue is taken up by the Republic of India. More often than not things have failed miserably along the journey. People attribute those failures to bureaucracy and corruption. Who is to be blamed for all this? yes, its the people of India. A change in attitude towards ourselves and towards others is the need of the hour. Remember ours is a government of the people, for the people, by the people. It’s time we realize that and exert those powers.

News Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8392118.stm

Ganges, a river believed to purify the human soul is in need of deep cleansing
–Rushi