Varanasi Ghats: Holy river, unholy mess

By HT Correspondent

Updated On Oct 31, 2019 01:40 pm IST

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A cow stands in Harishchandra Ghat bordering River Ganga in Varanasi which is clogged by hyacinth plants, on Wednesday. Restoring the holy river to its past glory had remained on the government’s backburner as removing the dirt would have hurt the vote-bank of around 400 million Indians who live in the river basin. (Ravi Choudhary/HT PHOTO)

Updated on Oct 31, 2019 01:40 pm IST

A cow stands in Harishchandra Ghat bordering River Ganga in Varanasi which is clogged by hyacinth plants, on Wednesday. Restoring the holy river to its past glory had remained on the government’s backburner as removing the dirt would have hurt the vote-bank of around 400 million Indians who live in the river basin. (Ravi Choudhary/HT PHOTO)

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Garbage and hyacinth plants float in the Ganges near Dashashwamedh Ghat where unused boats add to the concern in Varanasi. Municipal figures show that the streams are now highly polluted as about 30 metric tons of the city’s daily waste entering them. (Ravi Choudhary/HT PHOTO)

Updated on Oct 31, 2019 01:40 pm IST

Garbage and hyacinth plants float in the Ganges near Dashashwamedh Ghat where unused boats add to the concern in Varanasi. Municipal figures show that the streams are now highly polluted as about 30 metric tons of the city’s daily waste entering them. (Ravi Choudhary/HT PHOTO)

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A message written on a wall at Rajghat in Varanasi calls for action against polluting River Ganga. The NDA government’s ‘Ganga rejuvenation plan’ is aimed at cleaning Ganga and restoring it’s past glory. (Ravi Choudhary/HT PHOTO)

Updated on Oct 31, 2019 01:40 pm IST

A message written on a wall at Rajghat in Varanasi calls for action against polluting River Ganga. The NDA government’s ‘Ganga rejuvenation plan’ is aimed at cleaning Ganga and restoring it’s past glory. (Ravi Choudhary/HT PHOTO)

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Construction debris at Rajghat near Ganges river bed in Varanasi. Over the decades, several attempts costing crores have already been made to clean the river to no avail. (Ravi Choudhary/HT PHOTO)

Updated on Oct 31, 2019 01:40 pm IST

Construction debris at Rajghat near Ganges river bed in Varanasi. Over the decades, several attempts costing crores have already been made to clean the river to no avail. (Ravi Choudhary/HT PHOTO)

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Garbage thrown carelessly by pilgrims strewn across the river bed at Rajghat in Varanasi. 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. (Ravi Choudhary/HT PHOTO)

Updated on Oct 31, 2019 01:40 pm IST

Garbage thrown carelessly by pilgrims strewn across the river bed at Rajghat in Varanasi. 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. (Ravi Choudhary/HT PHOTO)

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Locals sit on pillars below Harishchandra Ghat as hyacinth plants floats on River Ganges in Varanasi. The Ganga basin is home to 500 million people, 100 million of whom are directly dependent on it for domestic, commercial or agricultural use. (Ravi Choudhary/HT PHOTO)

Updated on Oct 31, 2019 01:40 pm IST

Locals sit on pillars below Harishchandra Ghat as hyacinth plants floats on River Ganges in Varanasi. The Ganga basin is home to 500 million people, 100 million of whom are directly dependent on it for domestic, commercial or agricultural use. (Ravi Choudhary/HT PHOTO)

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Locals bath and wash clothes at Harishchandra Ghat on the River Ganges in Varanasi. 1.1 million of human excrements is discharged into the Ganga every minute. (Ravi Choudhary/HT PHOTO)

Updated on Oct 31, 2019 01:40 pm IST

Locals bath and wash clothes at Harishchandra Ghat on the River Ganges in Varanasi. 1.1 million of human excrements is discharged into the Ganga every minute. (Ravi Choudhary/HT PHOTO)

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A dhobi washes clothes at Rajghat in Varanasi. 15,000 tonnes of ashes released into the river every year. (Ravi Choudhary/HT PHOTO)

Updated on Oct 31, 2019 01:40 pm IST

A dhobi washes clothes at Rajghat in Varanasi. 15,000 tonnes of ashes released into the river every year. (Ravi Choudhary/HT PHOTO)

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