Eminent environmentalist and winner of the 2001 Raman Magsaysay award for community

leadership, Rajendra Singh has said that if the Ganga isnt saved then India wont be saved
either.

India is a land of rivers. India would be a desert without these rivers. Indian rivers are the lifeline
for all life forms in the country. The biodiversity and human cultures to a very large extent
depend on the existence of a river. They not only are the backbone of Indian agriculture, but also
the mainstay of Indian economy. They supply uninterrupted power to millions of large scale and
small scale industries. They run the nation.

All the civilizations in our world were born, grew, and developed on the banks of rivers. They
are the veins of the earth through which life flows. Rivers not only make our planet habitable,
they also make it exceedingly beautiful.

Mythologically speaking, Hindus believe there is a spiritual significance in the Ganges and a dip
in the river will abrade all sins. Then there are many more rivers like Saraswati, Narmada,
Sindhu, Godavari and Yamuna. These are all great rivers of India. They nurture the life that
depends on it (the flora and fauna) and also create the landscape. It is rivers that erode mountains
and create land. They are the source of potable water, irrigation for agriculture, power
generation, transport, food, recreation and leisure, etc.

Since mans life depends so much upon rivers, it is his bounden duty to keep them in perfect
health and pollution free. However, owing to rapid industrialization and urbanization, rivers have
been highly polluted. They have become huge dumping reservoirs. The increased consumption
of water and collection of the water for generation of hydroelectricity is converting these rivers
into a series of dry stretches and stagnant pools. The industries close to the bank of these rivers
dispose toxic fumes which is one of the major causes promoting global warming.

We must ensure there is no pollution of rivers by dumping any waste such as, sewage, effluents,
and other toxic substances. The people and the government must ensure installation of effluents
treatment plants at industrial, garbage, and sewage units. By being the proactive stewards of this
rare life-supporting element can we preserve and conserve it.

Clean, pure, sparkling rivers with abundant aquatic life reflect the cleanliness of the people who
live on its banks. Their cleanliness is the indicator of the health level of the people inhabiting
their banks. We must preserve our rivers because our own preservation is directly linked to their
conservation.