

A powerful, hard-hitting poem depicting the spiritual essence of river Ganga and how the river has degenerated over the ages in the hands of humans.
I am Ganga
Not merely a
Stream
Creak
Brook
Or rivulet
But a mighty river
Revered by so many
Praised by the Vedas
I am home to aquatic life
Living in my habitat.
People come to me for
Refuge
Upliftment
Cure for disease
Salvation
And to quench their thirst.
Worshiped in
Rishikesh
Haridwar
Kashi and
Allahabad
I provide succor to millions
Living by my banks.
But man’s senseless
Meaningless
And selfish wants
Has earned me the tag of
A most polluted river.
Shame on you!
From a sacred
And life giving river
Worshipped since civilization
You have reduced
Me to a cauldron
Of pollution and death,
The cleaning drive
Failed miserably
Doomed by man’s greed
And selfishness
Today I am being accused of
Being carcinogenic
But who made me so?
You, the greedy man!
You have dumped my soul
With lethal chemicals
Heavy metals
To run your factories
A mindless brutish move.
Behold!
You have made me
An agent of disease
Behold!
Wake up now
And stop this plundering
Let me not be
A harbinger of death
Stop this maniacal pollution
Of my sacred waters
Let the new plans
Rinse me to
My former glory
Let me once again be the harbinger of life
Let me be as sacred
As the Veda song of my glory
Free me from pollution
O senseless man!
Pic courtesy: Sayan Roy
More Poems to read
At the River Ganges
Jhulan Utsav
Stop at Beas
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the Ganga originates from Gangotry,
Moving slowly like a new born baby.
Loving to one and all with whole hearty,
Go on prime rose, do not having enmity.
Flowing in Northern part of the country,
Playing in the lap of the Great Himalaya.
Enter into the lands of the great valley,
Famous as the mother of goddess Ganga.
Due to the penance of great Bhagirathi,
It came on land for the salvation of Sagara.
The famous rivers are Ram Ganga ,Madakini,
And Alknanda Join on way of the Ganga.
It becomes source of lives in the summer days,
Birds, animals and human see the light of the day.
When all sources of water give up the hope,
Fulfill need of people, cut the Gordian knot.
As it enters into the plain, it becomes prey,
Industrialists throw waste into The Ganga.
And start to play into the hand of cruelty,
Mix waste and drainages of all the cities.
The flow of the Ganga begins to shrink,
The government set up a plan to clean.
Asked the people to cooperate the authority,
Make up healthy and clean environment.