About ten years ago, I watch a video on the death of Ganges, people left semi cremated bodies in the river.
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2014/06/economy-trumps-environment-india-rivers-2014620111419376318.html
Economy trumps environment for India's rivers
Discharges into the Yamuna river in Delhi point to an environment under severe strain, despite government efforts.
Industrial waste from inland areas and untreated sewage pour into the river through discharge drains [File: AP]New Delhi, India - Polluted rivers in India pose a major threat to agriculture and public health but there are few signs that costly efforts to tackle the problem are making headway.In New Delhi, hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent since the 1990s to clean up the Yamuna river - but with little positive impact.
Fears are now growing that the emphasis placed by candidates in the country’s recent elections on kick-starting India’s economic engine - which has slowed to less than five percent - will confine efforts to revive the country’s dying rivers to the back seat.
Journey back in time
Residents in New Delhi in the 1960s still recall swimming and fishing in the Yamuna every day.
But today, most people cannot bear to walk by the river for more than a few minutes, overwhelmed by the foul stench of garbage and, at times, stagnant water.