Hinduism's Water Pollution: Prevention And Purification Methods

Hinduism places a strong emphasis on the importance of physical and spiritual cleanliness and well-being, with water playing a central role in Hindu rituals due to its perceived spiritually cleansing powers. Holy places are often located on the banks of rivers, and rivers themselves are considered sacred, with the Ganges being of particular significance. Despite the inherent values of Hinduism stressing a clean and pure environment, some Hindu rituals and festivals have been criticized for contributing to water pollution, such as the immersion of idols laced with chemical paints in lakes and rivers. This has led to a debate within the Hindu community, with some arguing that the spiritual nature of rivers renders them impervious to physical pollution, while others advocate for a return to the traditional Hindu respect for nature to address the issue of water pollution.

The Ganges and the Yamuna River are considered living entities

The Ganges and the Yamuna River are considered sacred in Hinduism, with the former being worshipped as "Ganga Mata", or mother. They are a lifeline to more than 500 million people across India, providing drinking water to nearly 19 million residents of Delhi. However, they are also two of the country's most polluted rivers.

In 2017, the High Court in Uttarakhand ordered that the Ganges and the Yamuna be considered living entities with the same legal rights as human beings. This was done in response to a petition by a local resident of Haridwar, Mohammed Salim, who was concerned about the high levels of pollution and encroachment in the rivers and their tributaries. The court appointed three officials to act as legal custodians responsible for conserving and protecting the rivers and their tributaries.

The ruling was hailed by environmentalists as a significant step towards protecting the rivers, which have been facing neglect and destruction. It meant that polluting or damaging the rivers would be legally equivalent to harming a person, with strict measures to be taken to protect them.

However, the state government of Uttarakhand argued that the ruling was not practical and could lead to complicated legal situations. They took the issue to the Supreme Court, which overruled the High Court's decision, stating that the rivers could not be viewed as living entities. Despite this setback, the movement to protect the Ganges and the Yamuna continues, with efforts such as the 'Namami Gange Project' aiming to clean and preserve the rivers.

Human waste and industrial effluent are the main causes of water pollution

While there are many sources of water pollution in India, human waste and industrial effluent are the main causes of water pollution.

Human waste is a significant contributor to water pollution. When rainwater seeps into the ground, it becomes groundwater, an essential natural resource for drinking water. However, when contaminants from human waste, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, leach into aquifers, they render the groundwater unsafe for human use. This type of water pollution can have severe health consequences, causing illnesses such as cholera, giardia, and typhoid. Additionally, wastewater treatment plants, which are responsible for treating human waste, can become sources of nutrient pollution if they are not properly equipped or maintained.

Industrial effluent is another primary cause of water pollution. Various industries, including mining, steel production, power plants, and food production, generate wastewater containing chemicals, heavy metals, oils, pesticides, and other toxic pollutants. These contaminants are released into local water bodies, leading to environmental and human health issues. The food products industry, for instance, contributes significantly to water pollution through toxic wastes and organic pollutants. Additionally, small-scale industries often lack the necessary pollution control equipment due to financial constraints.

The impact of water pollution extends beyond India's revered rivers. It affects not only the aesthetic quality of lakes and rivers but also poses a hazard to aquatic life and human health. Polluted water is unsuitable for drinking, recreation, agriculture, and industrial use. Furthermore, water pollution has devastating consequences for animals, fish, and birds.

To address these issues, Hindus have been working to reduce water pollution and protect their revered rivers. While specific responses to water pollution from a Hindu religious perspective were not readily available, the religion is known for its teachings of "tolerance and universal acceptance." This open-minded approach may influence how Hindus tackle water pollution issues. Additionally, Hinduism has contributed to the spread of practices like yoga and transcendental meditation, which promote spiritual and physical well-being. These teachings may also shape how Hindus view and address environmental concerns, including water pollution.

Cremation and scattering of ashes in the Ganges

The Ganges River is revered by Hindus as a sacred source of purity and protection. Cremation and the scattering of ashes in the river are integral parts of the Hindu faith. Hindus believe that cremation is a vital part of their view of destiny, symbolising the human embryo, which begins with the male seed and develops into bones, while the female blood results in flesh.

Hindus collect the ashes and remains of the deceased in a biodegradable container and immerse them in the Ganges River at Haridwar, where the river transitions from the mountains to the Indo-Gangetic plains. This is known as the Asthi Visarjan ceremony or the final rites for the release of Antyesti (last sacrifice). The scattering of ashes in the Ganges is considered the utmost sacred ritual, with thousands of Hindus travelling to the sacred city of Haridwar to experience deeper spirituality, self-healing, and nirvana.

Due to the global spread of Hinduism, not all worshippers can travel to the Ganges River to perform these rituals. As a result, some Hindus have adopted local rivers for scattering ashes, such as in Britain, where popular locations include Leicester, Kingston, and Windsor. Other companies offer services to transport cremated remains to India for scattering in the Ganges River, ensuring that the proper rituals are followed. These services include performing the Asthi Visarjan ceremony and providing families with digital recordings of the rituals.

The coronavirus pandemic impacted these Hindu practices, with reports of uncremated bodies being disposed of in the Ganges River due to the increased cost of cremations. Additionally, water pollution in India poses a significant threat to the sacred river. The primary sources of pollution are untreated sewage, agricultural runoff, and unregulated small-scale industries. High levels of contaminants, such as heavy metals, pesticides, and industrial chemicals, have been found in the Ganges, causing severe health risks and ecological damage. Despite efforts by NGOs and citizen movements to clean the river, bureaucratic challenges and a lack of coordination among government ministries have hindered effective water management in India.

Religious leaders are advocating for tackling environmental challenges

Hinduism is a dharmic religion, where the concept of dharma is considered to be the universal organising principle that guides how all things—animate or inanimate—ought to be, connoting a sense of duty, virtue, and moral righteousness that all Hindus should uphold. In the context of the human-nature relationship, protecting the environment has been interpreted as an expression of dharma. As stated in the Hindu Declaration on Climate Change, it is the "dharmic duty [to ensure that] we have a functioning, abundant, and bountiful planet".

Hinduism is considered by some to be the most environmentally conscious religion. Animals, birds, trees and geographical entities are given the status of gods and goddesses and are worshipped and preserved. For example, the Peepal tree, which releases oxygen, is considered holy, and therefore, Hinduism ensures its survival. Another central concept in Hinduism is karma, which holds that every action has consequences and that there is a causal relationship between one's actions and one's future fate, even in subsequent lifetimes.

Despite these inherent underpinnings of ecology in Hinduism, there is a stark contrast between theory and practice. Rivers such as the Ganges (Ganga) are considered sacred, yet they have become some of the most polluted bodies of water in the world. This is due to a variety of reasons, including industrial effluent, sewage, and the dumping of half-burnt or fully wrapped corpses into the river. The Ganges is also revered as a living goddess, and many Hindus believe that the river carries away all the filth to somewhere else, justifying the act of pouring dirt into it.

In response to this degradation of sacred rivers, religious leaders have started to become vocal advocates for tackling environmental challenges. In 2009, the Convocation of Hindu Spiritual Leaders adopted the inaugural Hindu Declaration on Climate Change at the Parliament of the World Religions. Within the Declaration, Hindu leaders highlighted how Hindus have an inherent duty to protect the environment, referencing specific teachings from religious texts. This Declaration was later endorsed by various Hindu organisations and activists worldwide in the lead-up to the 2015 Paris Climate Conference.

In addition to the efforts of religious leaders, local communities have also played a role in advocating for the environment. For example, the famous Chipko movement first started as a local response against a deforestation project, with villagers hugging the trees as a form of protest. While the primary motivation of the movement was to maintain their right to their forest and to protest corporate exploitation, it nonetheless had a positive environmental impact, demonstrating how religion and cultural practices can shape environmental movements.

The inherent values of Hinduism stress keeping the environment clean and pure

Hinduism places a lot of emphasis on keeping the environment clean and pure. The Hindu scriptures time and again stress the importance of Shaucha or "cleanliness". According to Hindu Dharma, Shaucha is considered one of the vital elements in leading a Dharmic life. The scriptures advise people to bathe daily in the waters of rivers, ponds, and lakes, but this water must be clean and pure, with the right smell, colour, and taste, and free from any other impurities.

The concept of "Swacchata" or "Cleanliness" is deeply rooted in Hindu culture and tradition. For example, during the Hindu festival of Diwali, devotees traditionally perform a deep cleaning of their homes and surroundings, as cleanliness is believed to invoke the presence and blessings of Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth and prosperity.

Hinduism also recognises certain objects, places, events, actions, people, beings, and phenomena as purifiers or cleansers, having the power to cleanse sins, cure diseases, remove adversity, bring good fortune, or exorcise evil spirits. These include prayers and rituals, mantras, sacrifices, and scriptures such as the Bhagavadgita, Bhagavatam, or the Ramayana.

The body is also considered to be purified by water, and the internal organ by truthfulness. The individual soul is purified by sacred learning and austerities, and the intellect by true knowledge.

In the context of environmental conservation, Hinduism offers a unique perspective where there is no separation between the Creator and the created. This unity is celebrated and revered, even as the expressed diversity of the Divine is also acknowledged and delighted in.

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