Apropos A River Less Gung-Ho (July 4), I have seen some of the treatment plants and the working of the Ganga action plans. The system is mostly non-functioning because of corruption and negligence. For instance, I have seen that during power cuts, the generator operator never starts the genset so to save diesel for himself. It would be better if we diverted the flow of drains and sewer lines opposite to the rivers and use it for irrigation. The waste water can be pumped from the lowest disposal points to higher points from where it can go into irrigation canals. The expenditure incurred will be a fraction of that being spent presently.
Audhesh Tiwari, New Delhi
Barking deer, wild goats, antelope, snow trout, mahseer.... Not much chance these poor creatures will survive the onslaught of 1.2 billion humans fixated on double-digit growth.
Ashok Lal, Mumbai
It’s a tragedy that the very water you use to clean yourself is unclean. Patriotism is not just about fighting to protect your country’s borders, it also means protecting its rivers, mountains and forests.
Akanksha Jagannathan, on e-mail
It’s a strange irony that the very river that is worshipped is defiled by the worshippers when their duty should be to prevent it from drying and dying. Take an oath that the very river which washes our sins is not washed away by dirt.
Jayalaksmi Chellappa, on e-mail
I didn’t have much hope in any case from the Congress but it’s a BJP government in Uttarakhand that has colluded in the murder of the Ganga. And they call themselves the custodians of Indian culture!
Pradip Singh, Stafford, UK