Environmental Concerns Southern and Eastern Asia GANGES RIVER

Environmental Concerns Southern and Eastern Asia

GANGES RIVER • WHO DEPENDS ON THE GANGES RIVER? • THE PEOPLE OF INDIA DEPEND ON THIS RIVER FOR THEIR DAILY NEEDS SUCH AS BATHING, DRINKING WATER, AND FISHING. • IT IS ALSO SIGNIFICANT TO HINDUS AS THEY CONSIDER IT THEIR MOST SACRED RIVER.

WHY IS THE GANGES RIVER POLLUTED? • IT HAS A POPULATION DENSITY OF ABOUT 1, 000 PEOPLE PER SQUARE MILE. • 400 MILLION PEOPLE LIVE ALONG THE GANGES RIVER BASIN.

CAUSES OF POLLUTION IN THE GANGES RIVER People Industry Religious Ceremonies Bathing in the river Limited Government Rules Religious Ceremonies Raw sewage runs into the river Toxic waste runs off in the river. Cremation of bodies along the banks of the river. Cleaning their laundry in the river. High levels of chromium sulfate, arsenic, cadmium, mercury and sulfuric acid Human remains placed in the river.

HINDUS BELIEF AND PRACTICE • TRADITIONALLY, ALL HINDUS—EXCEPT BABIES, CHILDREN, AND SAINTS—ARE CREMATED. • HISTORICALLY, HINDU CREMATIONS TAKE PLACE ON THE GANGES RIVER IN INDIA. • THE FAMILY BUILDS A PYRE AND PLACES THE BODY ON THE PYRE. • THE PYRE IS SET ON FIRE AND THE BODY CREMATED.

THE GANGES AND THE HINDUS RELIGION • THE DAY AFTER THE CREMATION, THE ASHES ARE COLLECTED. • TRADITIONALLY, THE ASHES SHOULD BE PLACED IN THE GANGES RIVER, THOUGH MORE AND MORE OTHER RIVERS ARE BECOMING ACCEPTABLE SUBSTITUTES. • FOR HINDUS LIVING OUTSIDE OF INDIA, THERE ARE COMPANIES THAT WILL ARRANGE FOR THE SHIPMENT OF THE CREMATED REMAINS TO INDIA AND WILL LOWER THE ASHES IN THE GANGES.

CHINA’S GREAT YANGTZE RIVER • THE THIRD LARGEST RIVER IN THE WORLD. • FOUR HUNDRED MILLION PEOPLE DEPEND ON THE YANGTZE. • IT IS CHINA’S MAIN WATERWAY. • THE RIVER IS THE ONLY SOURCE OF DRINKING WATER IN SHANGHAI. • AT LEAST 600 MILLION PEOPLE IN CHINA USE THE YANGTZE AS A SOURCE OF THEIR DRINKING WATER.

POLLUTION PROBLEMS THE YANGTZE RIVER Industrial Waste Agriculture Pollution Industrial waste and Chemicals used on sewage runs off into the plants run off into the Yangtze River. river. Shipping Discharge Fishing water that collects in the lowest part of the ship’s hull is discharged into the river. Fisheries uses chemical fertilizers to feed fish. The ponds are drained into the Yangtze River.

THE YANGTZE RIVER

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