Neither sip nor dip on Ganga's sacred banks

The devout, who lovingly immerse idols and floral offerings, seem unaware that their reverence adds to the filth in the river

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Ah, the ever-flowing, eternal Ganga—India's sacred lifeline and, apparently, a divine sponge for all our sins and, unfortunately, our trash. From the icy sanctity of its Himalayan origin to its murky destiny in the Indian Ocean, the river is both a pilgrimage and a pollution hazard. Folklores extol its spiritual prowess, with Rishikesh and Haridwar on its banks housing thousands of ashrams. Millions still carry its water home as a holy elixir. But a word to the wise: proceed with caution, or perhaps a hazmat suit. The National Green Tr