G.D. Agarwal, prominent Indian activist dies while fasting for cleaner Ganges

One of India’s most prominent environmental activists has died at the age of 86 after more than 15 weeks of a hunger strike to protest against government inaction on cleaning up the Ganges. The death of Prof. G.D. Agarwal, who held a PhD in environmental engineering from the University of California in Berkeley, prompted an outpouring of grief and tributes from activists.

The Ganges, worshipped by Hindus, is India’s largest river system and one of its most polluted. Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014 with a pledge to clean up the 1,570-mile-long river, used for water by 400 million people, but increasingly choked with domestic and industrial waste. A flagship five-year project he launched in 2015 has fallen flat, critics say. Results of a federal audit released in Dec. 2017 revealed lapses in planning and financial management of the scheme and said under a quarter of the funds for the program had been spent in two years

More information: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-ganges-death/indian-activist-86-dies-while-fasting-for-cleaner-ganges-idUSKCN1MM28L