Journalism of Courage
The river Ganga in the holy city Varanasi calls artists, sages, musicians and painters who are in quenches their thirst for knowledge. (Source: Express photo by Swati Chandra)
River Ganga not just has spiritual and religious significance. It also nourishes a population of over 450 million. (Source: Express photo by Swati Chandra)
A vast Dhobi ghat operational near Harishchandra ghat, despite the fact that use of soap and detergent is banned in the river. (Source: Express photo by Swati Chandra)
Hindus consider this as one of the holiest places; they offer prayers to the river and the sun. (Source: Express photo by Swati Chandra)
People from far-off places come here to find peace and nirvana. (Source: Express photo by Swati Chandra)
The Assi nullah, once a tributary of river Ganga, carries township sewage of thousands of homes having unplanned sewage line, enters in river Ganga near Ravidas Ghat. (Source: Express photo by Swati Chandra)
The water from Assi nullah enters the river continuously without undergoing a treatment process. (Source: Express photo by Swati Chandra)
This is how river looks like in its southern stretch. (Source: Express photo by Swati Chandra)
This is the same place where the annual grand function of 'Ganga Mahotsav' is celebrated in the month of November and several artists, politicians and social workers arrive in and pledge to clean the holy river. (Source: Express photo by Swati Chandra)
The southern stretch is mostly uncrowded unlike the northern stretch where temples and religious activities keep the area abuzz with tourists and pilgrims. (Source: Express photo by Swati Chandra)
More interesting is the fact that, the river flows from South to North in Varanasi. (Source: Express photo by Swati Chandra)
The point where Assi nullah enters river Ganga. (Source: Express photo by Swati Chandra)
Apart from Assi nullah, around 5-6 big streams and hundreds of small stream unplanned sewage lines dispose waste. (Source: Express photo by Swati Chandra)
All these lines empty the township waste from residential colonies and untreated waste from nearby industrial areas. (Source: Express photo by Swati Chandra)
The location Mir Ghat. (Source: Express photo by Swati Chandra)
Limestone and other chemicals deposited on the side of the river at prominent Mir Ghat. (Source: Express photo by Swati Chandra)
Not very far from the grand cremation ghat Manikarnika, this picture at Lalita ghat shows the waste and garbage coming from the creamtion ghat. There is no proper mechanism to clean the river in that area which bears the burden of burning hundreds of dead bodies every day. (Source: Express photo by Swati Chandra)
The NGOs have helped nothing as of now. (Source: Express photo by Swati Chandra)
Several NGOs and independent people seem to be working for the cleanliness of the river, (Source: Express photo by Swati Chandra)
The same place at Rajendra Prasad Ghat in Varanasi from where former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi launched the Ganga Action Plan in 1986. (Source: Express photo by Swati Chandra)
According to Allahabad High Court order, no plastic bags are allowed in 200 metre radius of the river. However, this is not implemented. Plastic bags and bottles are found deposited in the river bed. The local administration or the civic body take no step to control the use of poly bags. (Source: Express photo by Swati Chandra)
The 28 years of the project, no attention was paid on checking direct disposal of sewage and other pollutants in Ganga from the trans-Ganga townships. (Source: Express photo by Swati Chandra)
The view of the Assi Ghat in the twilight. (Source: Express photo by Swati Chandra)
