Allahabad, India
Hindu holy men threatened to boycott a massive purifying ceremony this week, saying the Ganges River is too filthy for bathing. Every six years, millions of Hindus immerse themselves in the Ganges for the Ardh Kumbh Mela, the ritual of washing away sins. But the Ganges has been growing increasingly contaminated, as thousands of gallons of industrial and human waste are dumped into the river each day. Indian health officials, acknowledging that levels of some pollutants are thousands of times the acceptable amount, opened a dam to pump fresh water into the Ganges near the immersion site. The dilution hasn’t helped much, though. “Until people learn not to throw corpses in the river or empty their rubbish there, and factories stop their pollution,” said riverside innkeeper M.P. Sahi, “nothing will change.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Rebrands: Bringing back the War DepartmentFeature Trump revives the Department of Defense’s former name
-
Supreme Court: Will it allow Trump’s tariffs?Feature Justices fast-track Trump’s appeal to see if his sweeping tariffs are unconstitutional
-
Democrats’ strategy to woo voters for 2026: religionThe Explainer Politicians like Rob Sand and James Talarico have made a name for themselves pushing their faith
