Hindu Sadhus Lead Protest Against Ganges Pollution

[Jahnava Nitai Das 2]

Hindu Sadhus Lead Protest Against Ganges Pollution

 

LUCKNOW, INDIA, January 17, 2003 : Hundreds of Hindu holy men and

devotees observed a sit-in along the banks of the Ganges River to

protest the increasing pollution of the waterway that is sacred to

Hindus. Lucknow, a pilgrimage site for millions of Hindus, is located

at the spot where the Ganges River merges with the Yamuna. The

protesters demanded that more water be released from the Narora Dam

upstream to flush out the pollution and raise the river level for tens

of thousands of devotees who were expected to bathe in the Ganges near

Allahabad. "Not only is the water polluted, it is not enough. How can

millions of people take a dip in this water?" said Abhay Chaitanya, a

Hindu priest organizing the protest.