Save Ganga

Environmental and Cultural Disaster in India

Information provided by Desh Bachao Ganga Bachao Andolan

(Save the Country, Save the Ganga Movement)

India is one of the oldest civilisations of the world that flourished along the Indus and the Ganga. This civilisation has given in abundance to the world heritage. Ganga, the site of the Vedas, Upanishads and Puranas, the mother medicine of the world AYURVEDA and other sciences, is being destroyed from its Himalayan source onwards. Around 40 Km down the Glacier, the forest is being destroyed to make another of the several dams. Uttarkashi, the holy city of the temples (located 118 Km down stream from the Glacier), is destroyed by putting the river of great cultural and social importance into a tunnel. In brief, the Ganga that flowed for thousands of years in this area is dry. Its entire fauna has dried out or eaten up. Contractors and local looters are plundering its stones and sand. All the Ashrams along its banks, where people from all over the world come to learn yoga, meditation, Ayurveda and other healing practices have become redundant without the energy of the Ganga with its timeless water (no bacteria or fungus attacks Ganga water when kept in a bottle even for hundred years) and beautiful music of its rapids in this area. All that is a thing of the past. Ganga is dried by the anti-nature, anti-human, anti-environment policy makers.

After independence, there were two major dams, which were built in the regions of upper Ganga. Maneri, the smaller dam is about 100 Km down stream from the Glacier. Tehri, probably the biggest environmental disaster in the world, is 170 Km down stream from the Ganga’s Glacier. These dams were started when India was very poor after independence and there was no power infrastructure in the country. We are financial better now and we have so many alternative sources of energy as compared to sixty years ago. The whole world has become conscious of preserving environment and we know the threat of global warming that can destroy the humanity. We should all join hands to save our earth and group together to force our governments to stop our environmental and cultural destruction.

NEW DELHI: Despite fears that the flow of the Bhagirathi, the main tributary of the Ganga, is falling in volume, the government has said there is no such threat to the river and the "natural" receding of the Gangotri glacier does not require any corrective measures.

"Gomukh is the ice cave of Gangotri glacier through which the river Bhagirathi emerges from the glacier. Therefore, the question of Ganga going far away from the main source does not arise," earth sciences minister Kapil Sibal informed the Parliament.

According to Geological Survey of India data, between 1935 and 1996, Gangotri glacier receded at an average 18.80 metres per year. Studies by other institutions show that yearly recession dropped to 17.5 metres during 1971-2004 and further to 12.10 metres in 2004-05.

In view of the "rapid melting" of the Himalayan glaciers, the Uttarakhand government recently decided to regulate the flow of tourists to protected areas of the Gangotri National Park, including Gomukh, where only 150 travellers are now allowed daily. It also banned entry of mules and horses to Gangotri, besides raising the tourist entry fee to the area, frequented by thousands of 'kanwariyas' (Shiva devotees) in July-August.

But the central government said since Ganga (Bhagirathi) still emanates from Gomukh ice cave of Gangotri glacier, no steps were needed for bringing back the flow of Ganga.

"As far as the recession of the glacier is concerned, it is a part of natural phenomenon and cannot be stopped by using short-term artificial measures," Sibal said. Recent Google Earth pictures had shown that an eight-km stretch of Bhagirathi was drying up, and so were other tributaries of Ganga like Bhilangana, Assi Ganga and Alaknanda. The Ganga travels 2,510 km before meeting the sea.

The Supreme Court is hearing a PIL over the problems facing the Ganga. The petitioner, Sureshwar Sinha*, recently filed an additional affidavit charging that the construction of four dams — Pala Maneri, Maneri-Bahli, Lohari Nagpala and Bhairon Ghate — had led to the drying up of the Bhagirathi. He is also understood to have shown the photographs to the apex court judges. Although the government has admitted to the recession of the Gangotri glacier, it has not conducted any specific study to point out the factors leading to it and if it had any connection with global warming.

A survey by the Almora-based GB Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development found that the slowdown in the glacier's recession rate during 2004-05 could be due to high and frequent snowfall in that area during the 2004 winter. The maximum recession took place along the centreline, followed by the northern portion of the snout, while the southern part of the snout was retreating at a much lower rate.

Chief Minister of Uttaranchal performed the Antim Sanskar of the upper Ganga on 3rd of May 2008 taking much pride in the production of 1566 million unit of electricity. Whole Bhagirathi valley is ruined by the government by cutting forest and digging tunnels.....and CM wants to save the glacier by limiting the number of tourist to 150 per day to the glacier. It is a mockery of nature and us people who elect these politicians.

The news item in Times of India on Gangotri Glacier written by Ashish Sinha on 30^th April is not addressing the real issue. Ganga is dried between the Glacier and Tehri because it is put into tunnels at various places and the dry bed of the Ganga is plundered by the contractors and the locals. Please see all these pictures given in this blog.

Our committee has already sent TOI a file containing pictures. But the leading Newspaper could not care less to establish the truth. We are also in the process of filing a Public Interest Litigation in the Supreme Court. We request the prestigious persons in media to investigate properly the matter by your own correspondents. We have heard that money has changed hands and Ganga is sold to the private sector by the present BJP government. It is interesting that BJP is making much fuss and public movement all over India on Rama Setu issue, whereas, it is BJP who is responsible for the death of the Ganga in the upper Himalayas. Our committee sought an appointment with Mr. L. K. Advani but we were refused. The present BJP government is taking pride in the production of the Electricity produced after destroying Ganga. Here is a one page advertisement. of the Uttarakhanda Chief Minister in Times of India dated 3.05.08.

Union Minister Kapil Sibil’s statement has no value in the present context. 'Recession of the Glacier is natural' but it is related to the Global warming. We want to draw the attention to the destruction of the forest for building another dam only 40 Km downstream from Glacier. This is contributing to the climate change in the area. Ganga is being put in another Tunnel at this place. Considering all the destruction what the government is doing in this area, Uttarakhand’s CM’s statement of limiting the number of tourists to the Glacier sounds like a mockery.

We very much hope to have the help of the media to spread the message of our government’s cruelties on nature and its participation to the global warming, climate change in our area and its effect on the local population. Our aim is to get back the flow of Ganga on its normal bed and stop the manipulation of nature for the private profits of the politicians and multinational companies. WE, the people of India have a right to live calmly and peacefully in our homes and we want our normal water and weather conditions.