Modi Promised to Clean the Ganges. This Is What Happened

莫迪曾承诺净化恒河，结果还是老样子

For more than a decade, cleaning the Ganges river has been a priority for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, which has allocated more than $4.5 billion for the construction of hundreds of sewage treatment plants and other infrastructure.

The river basin’s importance to the economy is clear, as it supports hundreds of millions of people and generates about 40% of the nation’s economic output. Yet much of it remains polluted, carrying levels of sewage and industrial waste that in some places threatens the health and livelihoods of communities.

十多年来，治理恒河一直是莫迪政府的重点工作。政府已投入超45亿美元，用于修建数百座污水处理厂以及其他配套设施。

恒河流域对印度经济意义重大，它滋养着数亿人口，贡献了印度全国约40%的经济产值。但流域内大部分河段污染问题依旧严峻，部分区域污水与工业废弃物超标，威胁当地民众的健康与生计。

千百年来，虔诚的印度教徒在恒河岸边接受洗礼、朝拜沐浴和迎接死亡。恒河既是他们温柔的摇篮，也是他们冰冷的墓地。从踏上印度国土的那一瞬间，就深深地领悟了教徒们对恒河水那无尽的痴恋。

恒河在印度被称为甘加河，它滋养的人口数量超过地球上其他任何水系。约 6 亿人依靠这条河生活，它为印度国内生产总值贡献超四成，支撑着当地农业、工业与贸易。在印度的信仰里，在这条圣河中沐浴，就能获得解脱。

但印度经济快速扩张，正在把这条圣河推向危机边缘。河水漆黑，还会散发出类似臭鸡蛋的气味。污染严重到印度总理立下誓言，要治理恒河。纳伦德拉・莫迪并不是第一个提出治理恒河的领导人，但他的政府投入了史无前例的资金，拿出 45 亿美元用于恒河治理

恒河是印度最长的河流，发源于喜马拉雅山南坡的甘珂特，全长2700公里，横贯印度东北部。它也是印度教徒眼中最神圣的河流，人人心向往之。按照梵文的发音，恒河被称作“甘加”（Ganga），它来自一个悠远的传说：圣者拜基拉达终年风餐露宿修行于喜马拉雅山，他的虔诚和毅力感动了天上的甘加女神。女神降临到湿婆大神（婆罗门教和印度教中的主神之一）头上，顺着大神的头发流到了人间，变成了一条圣河，这就是今天的恒河。千百年来，恒河像血脉一样流淌在印度教徒心中，接受他们的顶礼膜拜。12年一度的“宫巴库会”，即恒河圣水沐浴节，已经有2000多年的历史了。

以下是印度网友的评论

TVNT
you cannot clean it up without sto the industrial waste into the river.

如果不制止工业废水排入河流，恒河就不可能治理干净。

 

ja8570
The Ganges is the ultimate example of the "tragedy of the commons"

恒河就是“公地悲剧”最典型的代表。

 

delusionalwrldd
The biggest issue in India isn't just corrupt politicians it’s also how we act as citizens. Because so many people deal with poverty and a lack of proper education, daily life becomes purely about personal survival. As a result, civic sense takes a backseat.
We treat our own homes cleanly, but treat public spaces like garbage dumps. We litter everywhere, spit on the streets, ignore traffic rules, and push ahead in queues without respecting others. We expect the government to magically fix everything, but we refuse to change our own daily habits or take care of public property.

印度最大的问题不只是政客腐败，民众自身的行为也是一大难题。很多人饱受贫困困扰，又没有接受良好教育，过日子只想着活下去，公共意识自然就抛在了脑后。大家会把自家收拾得干干净净，却把公共区域当成垃圾场。随地乱扔垃圾、街头吐痰、无视交规、插队抢位置，完全不顾及别人。我们指望政府凭空解决所有问题，自己却不愿改掉坏习惯，也不爱护公共设施。

 

orthodox.indian
The biggest issue is people and their civic sense

根源还是人，以及大家的公共意识。

 

abhithshaji
It's a mindset issue rather than a money problem.
If it's a river considered so sacred, people have to stop throwing garbage in it.

这不是钱够不够的问题，是观念问题。既然这条河被视作圣河，人们就不该再往里面扔垃圾。

 

sumisema9989
Indians believe in holiest ganga water ..but don't believe in cleanest.. the mean thing is education

印度人信奉恒河水是至圣之水，却不追求河水洁净，核心问题出在教育上。

 

chinmaytakarkhede4544
as an indian ..its not an educational problem brother…ive seen so many of graduates post docs litter , spit and vandalise public property …its simply a cultural and attitude problem from what I’ve noticed

我是印度人，说实话，这不是教育的问题。我见过不少毕业生、博士后照样乱扔垃圾、随地吐痰、破坏公共财物。在我看来，这纯粹是文化和态度问题。

manbeh4u
@chinmaytakarkhede4544 One solution, fine heavily those including big businesses.

有一个办法，对所有人，包括大企业，都处以高额罚款。

 

UrLyf-Is-Urs
what happened to Modi ka Waada ?

莫迪当初许下的承诺，现在怎么样了？

 

DeepakKumar-tp5sz
Not only ganga but u bark on only Indian

不止恒河污染严重，可大家偏偏只盯着印度说。

 

themeatpopsicle
$4.5b seems like a paltry amount for a problem this big

面对这么棘手的污染问题，45亿美元实在算不上多。

 

Sky-yi9nc
This is how the people treat their sacred and holy river, with garbage and pollution.

人们就是这样对待这条被奉为圣河的河流，垃圾遍地，污染缠身。

 

nachannachle2706
Same way people treat the Earth.

人们对待地球也是这个样子。

 

nutsbutdum
The cleanliness and hygiene issue can't be imposed from the top down. The government can spend how many billions they want, but at the end of the day individuals need to take the responsibility of kee the common areas clean.

环境卫生没法单靠自上而下强制推行。政府哪怕投入几十亿，说到底，还是要每个人自觉承担责任，维护公共区域干净。

 

guy6345
It should be a cultural thing , taught in school ,lot of PSA ,and fine collection

这应该变成一种文化习惯，学校要教，多做公益宣传，同时辅以罚款。

 

nearbytuitions
Exactly. People should keep the rivers and land clean, Govt is just a facilitator. No amount of money or surveillance is enough if a billion plus people keep on throwing garbage in the river. The money should be spent on civic sense education and finding an alternative to single use plastic.

说得没错。保持河流和土地洁净，主体是民众，政府只是协助方。十几亿人持续往河里扔垃圾，再多资金、再多监控都没用。这笔钱应该用来开展公共意识教育，研发一次性塑料的替代品。

 

HeyY01983
Can’t clean the river until the people understand what clean means

民众真正理解干净的意义，这条河才有治理好的可能。

 

pavantripathi1890
Change should come from citizens as well who throw waste. Hope civic sense improves

扔垃圾的民众也需要做出改变，希望大家的公共意识能越来越好。

 

ayushdevdhar2178
Peoples are responsible 70% and government is 30%.

民众要承担七成责任，政府占三成。

 

AhanBansal-s6o
petition to make tukaram mundhe incharge of Namami Gange

请愿让图克拉姆·蒙德来负责“致敬恒河”项目。

 

BiGBob-p8l
Unfortunately I think it’s a cultural thing that can be changed but required time and lots of energy. When I first visited India when I was a idealistic 18 year old I remember being on a mini bus in middle of the night in the south of India and a lady passed me her sons rubbish and gestured to throw out of the window, I was so utterly shocked and in disbelief that she would even ask such a thing. I snapped and said no, have some respect and pride for your country and gave it back to her, she just stopped shocked and then handed it to someone on the other side and they threw it out their side. I think I was appalled but also just laughed cause I tried and was sleep deprived, it’s a mindset thing and takes time to change, places do it so I’m sure India can

很遗憾，我觉得这是一种文化层面的问题，虽然能够改变，但需要耗费大量时间和精力。我18岁的时候，满怀理想第一次去印度。记得有天深夜，我在印度南部坐小巴，一位女士把她儿子的垃圾递给我，示意我扔到窗外。我特别震惊，不敢相信她会提出这种要求。我当场拒绝，告诉她要尊重、热爱自己的国家，把垃圾还给了她。她愣住了，随后把垃圾递给另一边的人，那个人直接从另一边扔了出去。我当时又吃惊又无奈，只能苦笑，我已经尽力了，而且当时还很困。这是观念问题，改变需要时间，别的地方能做到，印度肯定也可以。

 

idomatternonya7447
People still defecate on the side of the road, and just throw trash out of moving trains!

到现在还有人在路边随地大小便，还从行驶的火车上往外扔垃圾！

 

pavinbenny125
Ahh talk about trains . If Indian railways had more strict and thorough maintenance of their systems , trains in India won't look this bad . If only there was a system installed to ensure everyone boarding the train has taken their tickets or are just stowaways

说起火车。如果印度铁路系统能做到更严格、全面的维护，印度的火车就不会这么脏乱。要是有一套机制，能查清楚上车的人有没有买票，杜绝逃票就好了。

 

quizzzz377
I keep trash in dustbins. Literally for a 12 hour train the dustbin for one entire coach is like 8litres capacity space. and you don't want me to not throw wet waste outside.

我也想把垃圾放进垃圾桶。一趟12小时的列车，整节车厢的垃圾桶容量才8升，还不让我把湿垃圾扔到外面。

 

Meverythinginnovative
@idomatternonya7447 because there is no proper and timely collection of garbage in many cities,
Dustbins are having very small capacity inside the trains in comparison to the number of passengers travelling inside,
Also there is lack of awareness because bjp is shutting down the government schools and people are involved in puja paath tantra mantra instead of study

很多城市没办法及时、规范清运垃圾；火车上的垃圾桶容量，对比乘客数量来说太小了。另外民众环保意识不足，人民党关停公立学校，大家不去读书，反而沉迷念经祈福。

 

अविरल_कुमार_द्विवेदी
Hope the civics of Indian peoples get better day by day

希望印度民众的公共素养一天比一天好。

 

ScipioDYounger
Most of the pollution in Ganga is industrial

恒河大部分污染都来自工业。

GGray.
@ScipioDYounger and the people have the power to elect someone who can change that fact. so that point is still valid

 民众有权利选出能改变现状的人，所以这个说法依然站得住脚。

 

chinmaytakarkhede4544
as an Indian i used to be really optimistic about our future..but as things stand today ..even if we do cross multi trillion dollar economy ..the standards of living, environment and other factors which makes a country habitable are so abysmal and deplorable
Nobody wants to talk about it ..and we as citizens simply don’t care ..the citizens don’t want to change neither do they want to get criticised on their lack of civic responsibility and behaviour
the general attitude being…”CHALTA HAI , APNE KO KYA”

我是印度人，以前我对国家的未来十分乐观。可照现在这个情况，就算我们经济体量突破数万亿美元，生活水平、环境这些决定一个国家适不适合居住的条件，依旧糟糕得让人难以接受。没人愿意提起这件事，我们民众本身也不上心。大家既不想做出改变，也不愿因为缺乏公共责任感、行为失当而接受批评。很多人的想法就是：“凑合就行，跟我有什么关系。”

 

adityamankar8910
I am really concerned about the state of affairs of our country. Three fundamental things essential for survival i.e air,food and shelter are in danger. People in this country have no idea how grave the situation is and the darkness we are heading towards.

我十分担忧我们国家现状。空气、食物、住所，这三样生存根本，如今都岌岌可危。国内的人根本意识不到形势有多严峻，看不清我们正在走向的困境。

 

daneurope9167
if you depend in the river your economy is a dangerous system…the nile has been used from 5000 years yet its still usable until today.

经济发展高度依赖河流本身风险很高。尼罗河被人类利用了五千年，到现在河水依旧可以正常使用。

 

Hamari_Lori
Without common sense we cannot do anything.... The social fabric needs to be responsible... Don't blame the government, ensure their accountability rather than worship politicians.

没有基本的公德心，什么都做不成。整个社会都要有责任心。别一味指责政府，也不要盲目崇拜政客，而是要监督他们承担责任。

 

AJAY-g7q5g
वह सबसे बड़ा झूठा है, उसने जो भी वादा किया उसे कभी पूरा नहीं किया।

他就是最大的骗子，许下的承诺从来没有兑现过。

 

williambarnebee40
For a supposedly sacred river, they sure do treat it like an open sewer.

都说这是圣河，可他们对待它的方式，跟露天排污沟没两样。

 

manishhkr
Cleaning Ganga is just a scam until or unless the government possess strict penalty on industries and municipality on polluting the river.

除非政府对污染河流的企业和市政部门施以重罚，不然治理恒河就只是一场骗局。

 

shaikkhajafareeduddin
I hope this becomes the priority and India becomes a better country and a respected one!

希望这件事能被当成重点，让印度变得更好，赢得世人尊重！