This book is a compilation of the most important articles on thethirdpole.net on the Ganga, from the source to the sea.
It describes the sorry state of the Gangotri glacier, from whose snout the main stem of the Ganga emerges. Like most other glaciers in the Himalayas and elsewhere in the world, the glacier has been retreating due to climate change. A recent report said the rate of retreat had gone down since 2008, and this was hailed as good news. But most media reports glossed over another part of the same scientific study, which said the base of the glacier was thinning rapidly.
From the glacier through the mountains, the streams and rivers that make up the Ganga run in a way described as the matted locks of Shiva’s hair in Indian poetry through the ages. But now the other meaning of lock is coming into play, with dams on the rivers and more planned. Already, the water flow is diminished.
It is an ugly chronicle of a river that was once beautiful and remains holy in the minds of millions. But restoring life to the Ganga is not rocket science. As explained through many reports in this book, what it needs is political will, a consequent enabling policy framework, and implementation.