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The Ganges and the GAP: An Assessment of Efforts to Clean a Sacred River

Author

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  • Priyam Das

    (University of Hawaii at Manoa, Saunders 109, 2424 Maile Way, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA)

  • Kenneth R. Tamminga

    (Penn State University, 121 Stuckeman Family Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA)

Abstract

For centuries, the Ganges River in India has been the locus of sacred rites for the Hindus. The religious significance of the Ganges is physically manifested in ghats (stepped landings) that form the land-water interface. Besides serving as a site for religious bathing and cremation, the ghats are also tied to people’s livelihoods and are an inseparable part of their daily lives. Today, the increasingly urbanized Ganges basin sustains more than 40 percent of India’s population. At the same time, industrialization and the pressures of a growing population along its banks have contributed to alarming levels of pollution in the river. In 1985, the federal government of India launched the Ganga Action Plan (GAP) with the primary objective of cleaning the river. However, characterized by centralized planning and control with little public participation, the GAP had limited impact. In 2011, the government launched yet another clean up program—the National Ganga River Basin Project—with support from the World Bank. In this paper, we take a closer look at the programs to highlight the tenuous relationship between the need for ‘efficient’ management of environmental problems and public participation. Can public participation fit into the technocratic model that is often adopted by environmental programs? What approaches to participation kindle authorship and empowerment among those who share a deep relationship with the river and the ghats ? Can religious practices be accommodated within scientific frameworks of adaptive management and resilience? We argue that rethinking the relationship between pollution control programs and participation is crucial for any effort to clean the Ganges, restore its waterfront, and catalyze broader regeneration in the Ganges basin.

Suggested Citation

  • Priyam Das & Kenneth R. Tamminga, 2012. "The Ganges and the GAP: An Assessment of Efforts to Clean a Sacred River," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 4(8), pages 1-22, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:4:y:2012:i:8:p:1647-1668:d:19141
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Blair, Harry, 2000. "Participation and Accountability at the Periphery: Democratic Local Governance in Six Countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 21-39, January.
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    2. Xing, Shiqi & Batabyal, Amitrajeet, 2019. "A Safe Minimum Standard, an Elasticity of Substitution, and the Cleanup of the Ganges in Varanasi," MPRA Paper 93846, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 15 Mar 2019.
    3. Batabyal, Amitrajeet A. & Yoo, Seung Jick, 2024. "Heterogeneity in population and values and water pollution clean-up: The Ganges in Kanpur and Varanasi, India," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 1527-1534.
    4. Amitrajeet A. Batabyal & Hamid Beladi, 2023. "Centralized versus Decentralized Cleanup of River Water Pollution: An Application to the Ganges," Games, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-12, October.
    5. Amitrajeet Batabyal & Hamid Beladi, 2024. "Decentralized vs. Centralized Water Pollution Cleanup in the Ganges in a Model with Three Cities," Networks and Spatial Economics, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 383-394, June.
    6. Rita Yi Man Li & Yi Lut Li & M. James C. Crabbe & Otilia Manta & Muhammad Shoaib, 2021. "The Impact of Sustainability Awareness and Moral Values on Environmental Laws," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-26, May.
    7. Batabyal, Amitrajeet & Yoo, Seung Jick, 2023. "Heterogeneity in population and values and water pollution control: The Ganges in Kanpur and Varanasi, India," MPRA Paper 120289, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 06 Feb 2024.
    8. Mukherjee, Sacchidananda & Chakraborty, Debashis, 2016. "Turning Human Waste into Renewable Energy: Scope and Options for India," MPRA Paper 73669, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Basu Roy, Sharanya, 2017. "Ganga Action Plan(GAP): The Challenge of ‘Regulatory Quality’," MPRA Paper 81148, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. R. Srinivas & Ajit Pratap Singh & Rishikesh Sharma, 2017. "A Scenario Based Impact Assessment of Trace Metals on Ecosystem of River Ganges Using Multivariate Analysis Coupled with Fuzzy Decision-Making Approach," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 31(13), pages 4165-4185, October.
    11. Sacchidananda MUKHERJEE & Debashis CHAKRABORTY, 2016. "Turning Human Waste into Renewable Energy: Opportunities and Policy Options for India," Turkish Economic Review, KSP Journals, vol. 3(4), pages 610-628, December.

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