Passage 1 (Passage with Very Short Answer Type Questions) The Ganges is 2525 km long river which originates in the Himalayas in India's Uttarakhand

Read the passages given below carefully and answer the questions that follow.

Passage 1 (Passage with Very Short Answer Type Questions)

The Ganges is 2525 km long river which originates in the Himalayas in India's Uttarakhand state and flows South and East through the Gangetic plain of North India to Bangladesh. It ends into the Bay of Bengal. There are many rivers in India, but the Ganges is the most sacred river for the Hindus. Every year, the Hindus celebrate the descent of the Ganges from heaven to the Earth. They celebrate it as Ganga Dashahara. A dip in the Ganges on this day is said to rid the person of ten sins.

ଗଙ୍ଗା ହେଉଛି ୨୫୨୫ କିଲୋମିଟର ଲମ୍ବା ନଦୀ ଯାହା ଭାରତର ଉତ୍ତରାଖଣ୍ଡ ରାଜ୍ୟରେ ହିମାଳୟରେ ଉତ୍ପନ୍ନ ହୁଏ ଏବଂ ଉତ୍ତର ଭାରତର ଗଙ୍ଗା ସମତଳ ଦେଇ ବାଂଲାଦେଶକୁ ଦକ୍ଷିଣ ଏବଂ ପୂର୍ବକୁ ପ୍ରବାହିତ ହୁଏ | ଏହା ବଙ୍ଗୋପସାଗରରେ ଶେଷ ହୁଏ | ଭାରତରେ ଅନେକ ନଦୀ ଅଛି, କିନ୍ତୁ ଗଙ୍ଗା ହିନ୍ଦୁମାନଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ ସବୁଠାରୁ ପବିତ୍ର ନଦୀ | ପ୍ରତିବର୍ଷ ହିନ୍ଦୁମାନେ ସ୍ୱର୍ଗରୁ ପୃଥିବୀ ପର୍ଯ୍ୟନ୍ତ ଗଙ୍ଗାର ଅବତରଣ ଉତ୍ସବ ପାଳନ କରନ୍ତି । ସେମାନେ ଏହାକୁ ଗଙ୍ଗା ଦଶହାରା ଭାବରେ ପାଳନ କରନ୍ତି | ଏହି ଦିନ ଗଙ୍ଗାରେ ବୁଡ଼ ପକାଇବା ଦ୍ୱାରା ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିଦଶ ପାପରୁ ମୁକ୍ତି ପାଇବ ବୋଲି କୁହାଯାଉଛି।

 

It is also important historically, with many former provincial and capitals (such as Pataliputra, Kannauj Kara, Kashi, Allahabad, Murshidabad, Munger, Baharampur, Kampilya and Kolkata) located on its banks. The Ganges was ranked as the fifth most polluted river of the world in 2007. Pollution threatens not only humans, but also over 140 fish species and the endangered Ganges river dolphin. Many environmental initiatives were taken up by the Central and State Governments to clean it up. But they failed due to lack of technical expertise, poor environmental planning and lack of support from religious authorities.

ଏହା ଐତିହାସିକ ଦୃଷ୍ଟିରୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ଗୁରୁତ୍ୱପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ, ଅନେକ ପୂର୍ବତନ ପ୍ରାଦେଶିକ ଏବଂ ରାଜଧାନୀ (ଯେପରିକି ପାଟାଲିପୁତ୍ର, କନୌଜ କାରା, କାଶୀ, ଆହ୍ଲାବାଦ, ମୁର୍ଶିଦାବାଦ, ମୁଙ୍ଗେର, ବାହାରାମପୁର, କାମ୍ପିଲିଆ ଏବଂ କୋଲକାତା) ଏହାର କୂଳରେ ଅବସ୍ଥିତ | ୨୦୦୭ ରେ ଗଙ୍ଗାବିଶ୍ୱର ପଞ୍ଚମ ପ୍ରଦୂଷିତ ନଦୀ ଭାବରେ ସ୍ଥାନିତ ହୋଇଥିଲା | ପ୍ରଦୂଷଣ କେବଳ ମଣିଷ ନୁହେଁ, ବରଂ ୧୪୦ ରୁ ଅଧିକ ମାଛ ପ୍ରଜାତି ଏବଂ ବିଲୁପ୍ତପ୍ରାୟ ଗଙ୍ଗା ନଦୀ ଡଲଫିନ୍ ପ୍ରତି ମଧ୍ୟ ବିପଦ ସୃଷ୍ଟି କରେ | ଏହାକୁ ସଫା କରିବା ପାଇଁ କେନ୍ଦ୍ର ଏବଂ ରାଜ୍ୟ ସରକାରଅନେକ ପରିବେଶ ପଦକ୍ଷେପ ନେଇଥିଲେ । କିନ୍ତୁ ବୈଷୟିକ ପାରଦର୍ଶିତା, ଖରାପ ପରିବେଶ ଯୋଜନା ଏବଂ ଧାର୍ମିକ କର୍ତ୍ତୃପକ୍ଷଙ୍କ ସମର୍ଥନଅଭାବ ହେତୁ ସେମାନେ ବିଫଳ ହୋଇଥିଲେ।

 

The river suffers from extreme pollution levels, which affect the 400 million people who live close to the river. Sewage from many cities along the river's course, industrial waste and religious offerings wrapped in non-degradable plastics add large amounts of pollutants to the river as it flows through densely populated areas. The river water is neither fit for drinking nor for taking bathe. It is said that 80% of all illnesses in India and one-third of deaths can be attributed to water-borne diseases. The polluted water can also cause allergy and skin problems.

ଏହି ନଦୀ ଅତ୍ୟଧିକ ପ୍ରଦୂଷଣ ସ୍ତରରେ ପୀଡିତ, ଯାହା ନଦୀ ନିକଟରେ ରହୁଥିବା 400 ନିୟୁତ ଲୋକଙ୍କୁ ପ୍ରଭାବିତ କରିଥାଏ । ନଦୀର ପାଠ୍ୟକ୍ରମରେ ଥିବା ଅନେକ ସହରରୁ ସ୍ୱେରେଜ୍, ଶିଳ୍ପ ବର୍ଜ୍ୟବସ୍ତୁ ଏବଂ ଅଣ-ଅବନତିଯୋଗ୍ୟ ପ୍ଲାଷ୍ଟିକରେ ଗୁଡ଼ାଯାଇଥିବା ଧାର୍ମିକ ଅଫରଗୁଡିକ ଘନ ଜନବହୁଳ ଅଞ୍ଚଳ ଦେଇ ପ୍ରବାହିତ ହେଉଥିବାବେଳେ ନଦୀରେ ବହୁ ପରିମାଣର ପ୍ରଦୂଷକ ଯୋଗ କରେ | ନଦୀ ଜଳ ପିଇବା ପାଇଁ କିମ୍ବା ଗାଧୋଇବା ପାଇଁ ଉପଯୁକ୍ତ ନୁହେଁ | କୁହାଯାଏ ଯେ ଭାରତରେ ସମସ୍ତ ରୋଗର 80% ଏବଂ ଏକ ତୃତୀୟାଂଶ ମୃତ୍ୟୁ ଜଳବାହିତ ରୋଗ ପାଇଁ ଦାୟୀ ହୋଇପାରେ । ପ୍ରଦୂଷିତ ଜଳ ଆଲର୍ଜି ଏବଂ ଚର୍ମ ସମସ୍ୟା ମଧ୍ୟ ସୃଷ୍ଟି କରିପାରେ |

 

Questions:

1. Why the Ganges is considered important for the Hindus?

2. ........... is the most sacred river for the Hindus?

3. Give synonym for the word 'sacred'.

4. Where does the river Ganges start and end?

5. How the Ganges river dolphin is getting affected?

6. Write antonym for the word ‘non-degradable’.

 

Solutions:

1. Why the Ganges is considered important for the Hindus?

Ans. It is the most sacred river for the Hindus as they celebrate the descent of the Ganges from heaven to the Earth and call it as Ganga Dashahara. A dip in the river is said to rid a person of sins.

2. ........... is the most sacred river for the Hindus?

Ans. The Ganges

3. Give synonym for the word 'sacred'.

Ans. The synonym for the word sacred is holy.

4. Where does the river Ganges start and end?

Ans. The Ganges originates in the Himalayas in India's Uttarakhand state and ends into the Bay of Bengal.

5. How the Ganges river dolphin is getting affected?

Ans. Pollutants are threatening fish species in the river. This has also threatened the endangered Ganges river dolphin. They will extinct if pollutants remain unchecked.

6. Write antonym for the word ‘non-degradable’.

Ans. Degradable.