Upon being elected, India's new Prime Minister Modi thanked his biological mother and the Ganges River, his holy mother. THEN he vowed to clean up the Ganges River. It is long overdue. The interesting thing about dumping unwanted stuff into a river is that the current takes the burden away from the eyes of those who put it there, so to them it is cleaned and made ready for another dose, like flushing a toilet.
The article by Chaudhary and Katakey in Bloomberg News, states that "Pesticides in India's groundwater are causing cancers, dirty water is inhibiting growth in children and lack of the resource for irrigation has caused farmers to take their lives. Arsenic poisoning has risen as too much groundwater is withdrawn by pumps and wells in the plains of the Ganges, polluting crops and generating lesions, gangrene and cancer related illness, the Central Groundwater Board said."
If farmers and ranchers and townships atop the Ogallala Aquifer, and along the Platte River don't take the time, talent, and capital to resolve their depletion issues, they could be facing the same problems not too far down the road. There are fewer people sitting on top of the Ogallala Aquifer than live along the Ganges River, but if you are one of those affected, it becomes mighty important in a hurry.
The wonderful thing about water is that you cannot destroy it. You can change it but eventually it comes back to you as pure distilled rain water bravely facing what mankind is going to do to it this time around. It causes one to thank God daily for the bounty of water in Alaska.
Love the connection between the Ganges and the Ogallala Aquifer. My Jim calls those "lateral connections," and seeing them makes for a fine writer. I can't wait for the new Nebraska and water book. What's the title again?
ReplyDeleteTitle, dear lady, is AS ALL MY FATHERS WERE. You shall find it in the Old Testament, and it testifies to the longevity of families bound to the earth and its blessings.
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