In a shocking display of ecological negligence, devotees in Madhya Pradesh recently poured 11,000 litres of milk into the Narmada River as part of a grand religious “abhisheka.” While participants clapped and cheered, treating the river as a deity, they were actively contributing to its degradation. Dumping massive quantities of milk into a water body is catastrophic for aquatic biodiversity. The decomposition of this bioresource drastically spikes the river’s Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), swiftly absorbing dissolved oxygen and effectively suffocating fish and other aquatic life. At a time when Indian rivers are already severely dammed and experiencing dangerously low summer flow, this massive influx of pollutants pushes fragile ecosystems to the brink. Instead of intervening to protect the river, authorities remain paralyzed, afraid of the political backlash from confronting religious rituals. We cannot continue to treat our rivers as dumping grounds for flowers, ash, and thousands of litres of dairy. True reverence for nature means protecting it, not polluting it under the guise of blind superstition. It is time for state pollution boards to enforce strict regulations against ritualistic dumping before our rivers become entirely lifeless.
🔗 Source: https://thewire.in/environment/blind-faith-devotees-pour-11000-litres-narmada-pollution-worries
