From purity to pollution: Journey along Ganga from Uttarakhand plains to Varanasi and beyond

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*
The video above is about my Ganga journey from the plains of Uttarakhand to the ancient city of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. The journey starts from Lakshaman Jhula in Rishikesh and then moves to Har Ki Pairi in Haridwar and give you a glimpse of its purity and energy till it is in Uttarakhand. The river enters in Uttar Pradesh via a village in district Bijnor. The first major railway bridge on Ganga happened to be at Balawali.

The water level of the river is reduced drastically by the time it reaches Bijnor and there is absolute drought everywhere. From Bijnor to Garhmukteshwar, the journey is that of depleted water and more pollution. The fact is Ganga is more used for rituals in the plains of Uttar Pradesh than people bothering about its pollution.

From Garh, as it is popularly known, Ganga moves towards Central Uttar Pradesh and the fertile belt of Ruhail Khand via Moradabad, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur and Hardoi. At Hardoi, Ramganga, another Himalayan river emerging from Uttarakhand, and taking a parallel route, meets Ganga at its border with district Kannauj, famous for ancient Indian emperors such as Harshvardhana and Jaichand.

In Kannauj several small rivers too flow into Ganga, and it moves towards Kanpur, the biggest city of Uttar Pradesh. Just 30 kilometer ahead of Kanpur is Bithoor, a historical town and Ganga looks like a river, full of water, but it is because of a barrage about 7 kilometer down known as Kanpur Barrage.

Thereafter, Ganga looks pale in front of what we saw in Bithoor.

In Kanpur, the industrial and sewage waste flows into the river and continues to pollute it. Ganga forms border between Kanpur and Unnao and moves towards Fatehpur and then to Prayagraj where it meets Yamuna to make the biggest Sangam. From Prayagraj, it moves towards Vindhyachal and passes through Grand Chunar Fort and enters Varanasi.

The journey in Varanasi is equally fascinating as it is not merely an ancient city for Brahmanical rituals but also enlightenment of Lord Buddha, Saint Ravidas and Kabir. Two so-called rivers too flows into Ganga in here namely, Assi Ganga and Varuna, highly polluted. Ganga moves towards Gazipur but on the way meets Gomti river at village Kaithi.

At Ghazipur, we visit the tomb of Lord Cornwallis, a British Viceroy in 1805. Ganga forms the boundary between Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. It enters Bihar from Chausa and moves on.

Continuing my exploration of communities and history along with river Ganga and its tributaries, after Ghazipur district of Uttar Pradesh, Ganga enters into Bihar's Buxar region from Chausa, a historically important nondescript town, about 10 kilometres from the district headquarter Buxar. The interesting fact is that river Karmnasha ends its journey here by merging in Ganga which then moves onwards towards Buxar, Chhapra, Bhojpur defining the border between UP and Bihar.

I covered Gandaki in Sonpur, visited historic Gurudwara Patna Sahib and moved to Munger. The most enchanting and fascinating part of Ganga in Bihar is between Munger, Bhagalpur and Katihar. The second video above takes one to important places such as Sultanganj, Kahalgaon, Vikramshila, Kursela and Manihari. Interestingly, the big ship seen in the video operates as a mode of transportation and goods from Manihari to Sahehbganj.

---

*Human rights defender

Comments

Academics urge Azim Premji University to drop FIR against Student Reading Circle

By A Representative A group of academics and civil society members has issued an open letter to the leadership of Azim Premji University expressing concern over the filing of a police complaint that led to an FIR against a student-run reading circle following a recent incident of violence on campus. The signatories state that they hold the university in high regard for its commitment to constitutional values, critical inquiry and ethical public engagement, and argue that it is precisely because of this reputation that the present development is troubling.

'Policy long overdue': Coalition of 29 experts tells JP Nadda to act on SC warning label order

By A Representative In a significant development for public health, the Supreme Court of India has directed the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to seriously consider implementing mandatory front-of-pack warning labels on pre-packaged food products. The order, passed by a bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K.V. Viswanathan on February 10, 2026, comes as the Court expressed dissatisfaction with the regulatory body's progress on the issue.

When tourism meets tribal law: The Vanajangi dispute in Andhra Pradesh

By Palla Trinadha Rao A writ petition presently before the High Court of Andhra Pradesh has brought into focus an increasingly important question in the governance of tribal regions: can eco-tourism projects in Scheduled Areas be implemented without the consent of the Gram Sabha? The case concerns the establishment of a Community Based Eco-Tourism centre at Vanajangi village in Paderu Mandal of Alluri Sitarama Raju District, a region located within the Scheduled Areas of Andhra Pradesh.

Was Netaji forced to alter face, die in obscurity in USSR in 1975? Was he so meek?

By Rajiv Shah This should sound almost hilarious. Not only did Subhas Chandra Bose not die in a plane crash in Taipei, nor was he the mysterious Gumnami Baba who reportedly passed away on 16 September 1985 in Ayodhya, but we are now told that he actually died in 1975—date unknown—“in oblivion” somewhere in the former Soviet Union. Which city? Moscow? No one seems to know.

UAPA action against Telangana activist: Criminalising legitimate democratic activity?

By A Representative The National Investigation Agency's Hyderabad branch has issued notices to more than ten individuals in Telangana in connection with FIR No. RC-04/2025. Those served include activists, former student leaders, civil rights advocates, poets, writers, retired schoolteachers, and local leaders associated with the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Indian National Congress.

The ultimate all-time ODI XI: A personal selection of icons across eras

By Harsh Thakor* This is my all-time best XI chosen for ODI (One Day International) cricket: 1. Adam Gilchrist (W) – The absolute master blaster who could create the impact of exploding gunpowder with his electrifying strokeplay. No batsman was more intimidating in his era. Often his knocks decided the fate of games as though the result were premeditated. He escalated batting strike rates to surreal realms.

India’s green energy push faces talent crunch amidst record growth at 16% CAGR

By Jag Jivan* A new study by a top consulting firm has found that India’s cleantech sector is entering a decisive growth phase, with strong policy backing, record capacity additions and surging investor interest, but facing mounting pressure on talent supply and rising compensation costs .

Aligning too closely with U.S., allies, India’s silence on IRIS Dena raises troubling questions

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The reported sinking of the Iranian ship IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka raises troubling questions about international norms and the credibility of the so-called rule-based order. If indeed the vessel was attacked by the American Navy while returning from a joint exercise in Visakhapatnam, it would represent a serious breach of trust and a violation of the principles that govern such cooperative engagements. Warships participating in these exercises are generally not armed for combat; they are meant to symbolize solidarity and friendship. The incident, therefore, is not only shocking but also deeply ironic.

India’s foreign policy at crossroads: Cost of silence in the face of aggression

By Venkatesh Narayanan, Sandeep Pandey The widely anticipated yet unprovoked attack on Iran on March 1 by the United States and Israel has drawn sharp criticism from several quarters around the world. Reports indicate that the strikes have resulted in significant civilian casualties, including 165 elementary school girls, 20 female volleyball players, and many other civilians.

Search This Blog