One-tenth of the world's population relies on India's Ganges River to survive. Hindus flock to the river to drink, bath and worship it as the goddess Ganga. With the increasing pollution, this river's existence is threatened. Julian Crandell Hollick discussed these issues in a lecture on Tuesday, Sept. 30 in Gannett Auditorium. 

An award-winning documentary producer, Hollick is the only person to have traveled the entire length of the Ganges River. He said he wanted to know the river in the deepest sense; he followed as much of it as possible by boat and the remainder in close proximity.

According to Hollick, the river's problem is two-fold; it involves both water flow and pollution. He explained that in the lean or dry season, parts of the river dry up almost completely - to the point where people can easily walk across it. In other areas, the river is so deep and wide that it is impossible to see to the opposite side. From point to point, the river grows eight times its original size, caused by adjoining tributaries.

Half of the river's volume is used for human consumption and irrigation. The lack of water becomes more of an issue as the demand increases each day. "Global warming may mean that the Himalayas melt into the river, but after a few years, there will be no more snow to melt," Hollick said. 

Originally, a 400-kilometer canal was built to channel water by gravity and direct two-thirds of the water to farmers. Before long, the canal was taking so much water that there was not enough left in the river to wash away any pollution. This led to a serious growth in pollution, including sewage and other toxic substances. These substances sank into the mud of the river, creating an environmental "time bomb."

In 1986, the Indian government decided to clean up the river and treat the water in a ten-year plan. It built a separate plant for sewage, which failed almost immediately. The plant was too small and as the country's population increased, much of the sewage found its way back into the Ganges. 

According to Hollick, the government's plan was premature and poorly executed. It resulted in loss of money and caused more harm than good - the plants wasted their limited amounts of electricity.

In addition to the damage caused by pollution, the "dying" Ganges disrupts some spiritual and cultural aspects of India. The river encompasses the heartland of Ganga, the Hindu goddess and the pollution threatens a sacred deity of the Hindu religion.

Professor Joel Smith teaches the First-Year Experience seminar "River Goddesses of India: Religious Purity and Environmental Pollution." Following the lecture, Smith said, "If the river isn't sacred, it's only utilitarian. The Ganges is at the heart of the [Hindu] culture." Smith said worshippers of Ganga have been called an "endangered species." 

Smith believes the Ganga issue represents a global problem. The river is just one of many struggling with severe pollution and represents only a small piece of a larger issue.

For more information on the Ganges, check out Hollick's new book "Ganga: A Journey Down the Ganges River."