River of Love in an Age of Pollution


Book Description

"Very few scholars in religious studies have achieved Haberman's combination of textual and ethnographic authority. The book is groundbreaking, building on his achievements in the study of the religious traditions of Braj; he is widely regarded as a major authority on this area of Hinduism's complex regional matrix. The superior scholarship, combined with the author's personal voice, gives the book additional resonance, bringing to light an urgent environmental and moral challenge."—Paul B. Courtright, co-editor, From the Margins of Hindu Marriage: Essays in Gender, Religion, and Culture




Environment and Pollution in Colonial India


Book Description

India is facing a river pollution crisis today. The origins of this crisis are commonly traced back to post-Independence economic development and urbanisation. This book, in contrast, shows that some important early roots of India’s river pollution problem, and in particular the pollution of the Ganges, lie with British colonial policies on wastewater disposal during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Analysing the two cornerstones of colonial river pollution history during the late 19th and early 20th centuries – the introduction of sewerage systems and the introduction of biological sewage treatment technologies in cities along the Ganges – the author examines different controversies around the proposed and actual discharge of untreated/treated sewage into the Ganges, which involved officials on different administrative levels as well as the Indian public. The analysis shows that the colonial state essentially ignored the problematic aspects of sewage disposal into rivers, which were clearly evident from European experience. Guided by colonial ideology and fiscal policy, colonial officials supported the introduction of the cheapest available sewerage technologies, which were technologies causing extensive pollution. Thus, policies on sewage disposal into the Ganges and other Indian rivers took on a definite shape around the turn of the 20th century, and acquired certain enduring features that were to exert great negative influence on the future development of river pollution in India. A well-researched study on colonial river pollution history, this book presents an innovative contribution to South Asian environmental history. It is of interest to scholars working on colonial, South Asian and environmental history, and the colonial history of public health, science and technology.




River of Life, River of Death


Book Description

India is killing the Ganges, and the Ganges in turn is killing India. Victor Mallet traces the holy river from source to mouth, and from ancient times to the present day, to find that the battle to rescue what is arguably the world's most important river is far from lost.




Ganga Ma


Book Description

A ten-year photographic journey along the river Ganges documenting the effects of pollution, industrialisation and climate change.







Water and the Environmental History of Modern India


Book Description

This important new study investigates the competing demand for water in the Bhavani and Noyyal River basins of south India from the early 19th century to the early 21st century from a historical perspective. In doing so, the book addresses several important questions: * Did policy-makers visualise the future demand while diverting water from distant places or other basins? * Was efficient use ensured when the water was diverted or was it diverted in a manner that resulted in pollution and serious damage to the entire river basin? * Were natural flows taken care of in order to preserve the ecology and environment? * What were the factors that aggravated the competing demand for water and what were the consequences for the future? In the context of the current discourse on the competing demands for water, this book takes the debate forward, expanding the horizon of environmental history in the process. Until now, agriculture, industry and domestic water supply and their consequences for ecology, the environment and livelihoods have been given scant attention. Velayutham Saravanan's comprehensive account of both the colonial and post-colonial periods corrects this shortcoming in the field's literature and gives a holistic understanding of the problem and its full historical roots.




The Ganges River Basin


Book Description

The Ganges is one of the most complex yet fascinating river systems in the world. The basin is characterized by a high degree of heterogeneity from climatic, hydrological, geomorphological, cultural, environmental and socio-economic perspectives. More than 500 million people are directly or indirectly dependent upon the Ganges River Basin, which spans China, Nepal, India and Bangladesh. While there are many books covering one aspect of the Ganges, ranging from hydrology to cultural significance, this book is unique in presenting a comprehensive inter-disciplinary overview of the key issues and challenges facing the region. Contributors from the three main riparian nations assess the status and trends of water resources, including the Himalayas, groundwater, pollution, floods, drought and climate change. They describe livelihood systems in the basin, and the social, economic, geopolitical and institutional constraints, including transboundary disputes, to achieving productive, sustainable and equitable water access. Management of the main water-use sectors and their inter-linkages are reviewed, as well as the sustainability and trade-offs in conservation of natural systems and resource development such as for hydropower or agriculture.




Water Pollution


Book Description

Water Pollution: Causes, Effects And Control Is A Book Providing Comprehensive Information On The Fundamentals And Latest Developments In The Field Of Water Pollution.The Book Is Divided Into 28 Chapters Covering Almost All The Aspect Of Water Pollution Including Water Resources And General Properties Of Water; History Of Water Pollution And Legislation; Origin, Sources And Effects Of Pollutants; Bioaccumulation And Biomagnification; Toxicity Testing And Interaction Of Toxicities In Combination; Water Quality Standards; Biomonitoring Of Water Pollution; Bacteriological Examination And Purification Of Drinking Water; Monitoring And Control Of Pollution In Lakes, Rivers, Estuaries And Coastal Waters; Physical And Biological Structure Of Aquatic Systems; And Structure, Properties And Uses Of Water.Some Important Topics Like Eutrophication, Organic Pollution, Oil Pollution And Thermal Pollution Have Been Discussed In Detail. The Water Pollution Caused By Pesticides, Heavy Metals, Radio Nuclides And Toxic Organics And Inorganic Along With The Water Quality Problems Associated With Water-Borne Pathogens And Nuisance Algae Have Also Been Dealt With Extensively.The Book Covers In Detail The Flow Measurement And Characterization Of Waste Waters In Industries, And Control Of Water Pollution By Employing Various Techniques For Treatment Of Biological And Nonbiological Wastes. The Considerations For Recycling And Utilization Of Waste Waters Have Also Found A Place In The Book. Special Topic Has Also Been Given On Water Pollution Scenario And Water Related Policies And Programmes In India.The Book Shall Be Of Immediate Interest To The Students Of Environmental Science, Life Science And Social Sciences Both At Undergraduate And Postgraduate Levels. People From A Wide Variety Of Other Disciplines Like Civil, Chemical And Environmental Engineering; Pollution Control Authorities; Industries; And Practicing Engineers, Consultants And Researchers Will Also Find The Book Of Great Interest.




Waste of a Nation


Book Description

In India, you can still find the kabaadiwala, the rag-and-bone man. He wanders from house to house buying old newspapers, broken utensils, plastic bottles—anything for which he can get a little cash. This custom persists and recreates itself alongside the new economies and ecologies of consumer capitalism. Waste of a Nation offers an anthropological and historical account of India’s complex relationship with garbage. Countries around the world struggle to achieve sustainable futures. Assa Doron and Robin Jeffrey argue that in India the removal of waste and efforts to reuse it also lay waste to the lives of human beings. At the bottom of the pyramid, people who work with waste are injured and stigmatized as they deal with sewage, toxic chemicals, and rotting garbage. Terrifying events, such as atmospheric pollution and childhood stunting, that touch even the wealthy and powerful may lead to substantial changes in practices and attitudes toward sanitation. And innovative technology along with more effective local government may bring about limited improvements. But if a clean new India is to emerge as a model for other parts of the world, a “binding morality” that reaches beyond the current environmental crisis will be required. Empathy for marginalized underclasses—Dalits, poor Muslims, landless migrants—who live, almost invisibly, amid waste produced predominantly for the comfort of the better-off will be the critical element in India’s relationship with waste. Solutions will arise at the intersection of the traditional and the cutting edge, policy and practice, science and spirituality.




River Health and Ecology in South Asia


Book Description

This volume reviews recent hydrological and environmental issues resulting from human-induced water pollution practices while providing case studies on the physical, chemical, and eco-biological techniques used to mitigate the impacts of river ecosystem pollution in South Asian countries. The book demonstrates the key methods of measurement, monitoring, mapping, and modeling of river water quality and how it is impacted by pollution and incorporates contemporary geospatial technological applications for the management and sustainability of future water resources. The major topics that the book addresses are the fundamental concepts of river ecosystem health, riverine ecology and habitats, risk assessment of riverine pollution, and technology-based river pollution control strategies. The book will serve as an interdisciplinary guide for researchers, students, and GIS specialists working in various disciplines, including pollution hazards, river ecosystem restoration, water quality, remote sensing, zoology, natural resources management, and environmental geography.