The Ganga has been flowing for thousands of years. It is an inextricable part of India’s physical and cultural landscape. The land around it has changed beyond recognition over the millennia, but the river has remained the one great constant. It is believed to have healing powers, and to be cremated on its banks is said to bring salvation from the cycle of rebirth. Many believe that it is one of the country’s eternal verities. But climate scientists have another opinion. The Ganga, says a scientific report, is drying up. It’s a terrifying thought but it could become reality if the planet keeps heating up. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), in its 2007 report, says the Himalayan glaciers are melting at 10 to 12 metres a year, three times faster than 200 years ago, quicker than in other parts of the world. The grimmest scenario has them disappearing by 2035. If that happens, perennial rivers like the Ganga, China’s Yellow River and Yangtze will see a sharp fall in water level. Worse, they could become seasonal rivers. Until now, Himalayan glaciers were an inexhaustible reserve for the great rivers that flow through the Asian continent: […]