Today is no ordinary day. It’s World Environment Day — a global call to protect our planet. And it’s also Ganga Dussehra — the sacred day when Maa Ganga descended from the heavens to Earth, bringing purity, grace, and life. But maybe today isn’t just a coincidence. Maybe it’s a sign — a wake-up call.
We take great pride in our culture. We speak of संस्कार, of spirituality, of our connection to rivers, trees, and the land. We say “Ganga is not just a river, she is our mother.”
And yet… what have we become?
The very river we worship is now choking — polluted to the core. Yes, the government has launched programs. Some progress is visible, some only on paper. But this is not just about policies. This is about us, the people.
🔹 Over 3 billion litres of untreated sewage flow into the Ganga every day.
🔹 More than 1,100 million litres of industrial waste poison her waters daily.
🔹 Nearly 80% of the pollution comes not from factories, but from homes, towns, and cities — from us.
How hollow are we, really?
- We touch the river with folded hands and throw garbage with the same hands.
- We sing praises of our ancient wisdom and yet ignore the filth in our streets and rivers.
- We celebrate our culture, but refuse to preserve it.
And let’s stop blaming poverty.
There are countries poorer than India — cleaner, more disciplined, and more respectful toward nature.
The truth is painful: the defect is within us. Our mindset, our habits, our apathy. And if we don’t change — truly change — it may soon be too late.
The Planet Is Speaking. Are We Listening?
Nature is warning us — through floods, heatwaves, droughts, and dying species. Yet, we continue to consume, discard, and destroy as if there’s no tomorrow. If we don’t hear it now, we may never get another chance.
- Over 1.2 million people die each year due to unsafe water, poor sanitation, and lack of hygiene.
- Air pollution is responsible for around 7 million premature deaths annually, as 90% of the world’s population breathes polluted air .
Over 400 million tonnes of plastic are produced annually — and half of it is for single use. Nothing that we use for just a few minutes should be allowed to pollute our environment for hundreds of years. Only 9% of Global Plastic Waste Has Ever Been Recycled. The rest ends up in landfills, oceans, or the atmosphere as microplastics. Our environment is increasingly becoming plasticized. Microplastics have been found in human blood, lungs, placenta, and even breast milk. It is everywhere, from the deepest place (Mariana Trench) to the highest place (Mount Everest), Plastic is no longer just a waste problem — it’s a health crisis.
Today is a message.
Let’s stop pretending to be a cultured civilization and start acting like one. Let’s stop using devotion as decoration and start showing it through responsibility. Let us honour Maa Ganga and every part of our mother nature. Let us protect our culture, not just in textbooks, but in our daily choices. This is our chance. And maybe, our last one.
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