There is a very fine line between tradition and culture. If tradition is the flower then culture is its fragrance. Our tradition conveys ‘what we are’, and culture shows ‘what we have’. Problems occurs when tradition and culture do not complement each other. Pollution is one of these problems.
Our tradition springs from the worship of trees, rivers and rocks. The expansion of our culture, the innovation of new technique and our restlessness has brought us to the stage where we invest crores of rupees to clean the river Ganges but not much results are found. For this we can blame our tradition.
We Indian have made up our mind that the river Ganga can never get polluted! Therefore bathing, washing clothes even the cremation rituals are done near the bank of river Ganga or other rivers.
37% of Indian population are settled near the Ganga banks. From Gomukh to the Bay of Bengal,the Ganges covers about 2525 kilometres. And through our activities approximately 2.9 billion litres of polluted water is added to it daily.
We say that the Ganga is always pure, but its condition is not hidden from anyone. In Haridwar, more than 9 litres of polluted water are disseminated into it. Every year people from all over the place come here for pilgrimage or tour and add to the pollution.
In Allahabad, the filthy water of the drains are sent to the river. 4 crore litres of polluted water that comes from industries and the drainage are pushed into the Ganga.
The worst condition is of Varanasi, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised to clean the river Ganga. Here almost 30 crore litres of polluted water is being added daily.
Also tonnes of ashes, half burnt or unburned dead bodies, died animals are thrown into River Ganga and all this is done because we believe our all bad deeds and impurities are washed by the Ganga of Kaashi.
So when will our tradition meet our culture? Who can say?
[Written by Seema Kumari and edited by Newsnet Desk]
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No doubt’t our tradition has lost it’s aroma as the culture is not complementing it. The fragrance slowly appears to be fading away and the day is not far when the tradition will become odorless.
Culture and tradition can only meet again when we stop taking our culture for granted. The stereotype that Ganga can never be polluted should break. We should accept that it’s a mere river and dumping waste is only going to pollute it. Only then we will actually stop doing so. And hope that the tradition will regain it’s charm again.
Pollution is a serious problem and growing problem throughout the world today.Pollution is the contamination of earth’s environment with materials that interfere human health ,quality of life.Pollution & disease go hand in hand.
The people of the world should not use the environment as a garbage can. I know that water pollution is increasing day by day and we all blame the government for not taking actions. But we got to be honest with each other here on this issue. If all of us contribute to save water and prevent pollution then there wouldn’t be any problem today at all. Please keep the environment clean.
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It’s a very serious topic to be raised. I think people should understand the importance of rivers and should work hand to hand with the government. Afterall we are the only ones who can preserve our culture and tradition, no matter how long we have to go but we have to.
Pollution has become a cultural problem, as we are the only one who is responsible for polluting our environment beacuse of various kinds of rituals which are practised in the country in the name of god.
Not only the ritualistic practices but industries/factories are also responsible and to reduce the pollution everyone must take the iniatiatives as it is raising a lot of questions on the survivor of humans and other living organisms as well and if we will not survive then what we will do of our culture?
Swarnakshi Srivastava
Patna Women’s College
CEMS
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