Slow and Infrastructural Violence
The degradation of the Ganges River is not merely an environmental disaster; it is the physical manifestation of the hidden violence embedded in high modernist development practices. These practices prioritize technological and industrial advancement at the expense of ecological and social well-being, perpetuating a cycle of destruction and marginalization. The slow violence inflicted upon the river and its surrounding communities underscores the need for a more integrated and ecologically sensitive approach to governance.
The industrialization of the Ganges basin has been a major driver of this slow violence. Factories along the riverbanks discharge toxic chemicals and heavy metals directly into the water, with little to no treatment. These pollutants not only contaminate the water but also accumulate in the river’s sediment, leading to long-term ecological damage. The slow poisoning of the river has far-reaching consequences for both human and non-human life, as the toxins work their way up the food chain, affecting fish, birds, and ultimately the people who rely on the Ganges for drinking water and food.
The slow violence inflicted on the Ganges is also evident in the declining health of communities living along the river. Waterborne diseases, skin infections, and other health problems are rampant among those who use the river’s water for bathing, drinking, and cooking. The lack of access to clean water exacerbates these issues, particularly for marginalized communities who have no alternative sources of water. This slow violence is compounded by the fact that the most affected populations often lack the political power to demand change, leaving them trapped in a cycle of environmental degradation and poverty.
Infrastructural violence refers to the harm caused by the physical and organizational structures that support a society. In the case of the Ganges, this violence is manifested in the failures of India's infrastructure to effectively manage pollution and protect the river’s health. Despite numerous government initiatives aimed at cleaning the Ganges, such as the Ganga Action Plan (GAP) launched in 1986 and the Namami Gange project initiated in 2014, the river’s condition has continued to deteriorate. These failures can be attributed to the residual governance that characterizes India's approach to environmental management, where outdated, inadequate, and poorly enforced regulations are the norm.
The Ganga Action Plan, for example, was one of the earliest and most ambitious efforts to clean the river. However, it was plagued by poor planning, insufficient funding, and a lack of coordination between central and state governments. The GAP focused primarily on constructing sewage treatment plants (STPs) to reduce the amount of untreated sewage entering the river. However, many of these plants were poorly designed, underfunded, or not even operational, leading to little improvement in water quality. Furthermore, the plan failed to address industrial pollution, one of the major sources of contamination in the river.
Namami Gange, the most recent effort to rejuvenate the river, has similarly faced challenges. Although it has been allocated substantial funding and has seen some progress in areas such as riverfront development and solid waste management, the overall impact on water quality has been minimal. Corruption, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and a lack of accountability have hindered the implementation of the project, reflecting the deeper issues of residual governance that continue to plague India’s environmental management efforts.
The failures in governance and infrastructure are not just technical oversights but are indicative of the deeper, systemic violence inherent in the high modernist development agenda. These initiatives, while ostensibly aimed at progress, often exacerbate the ecological destruction and social marginalization they claim to address. Infrastructural violence is thus a critical component of the hidden violence that this paper seeks to unveil, demonstrating the need for a more holistic and community-centered approach to environmental management.
Infrastructural violence is also evident in the centralization of decision-making and the top-down imposition of development projects. These projects often fail to consider the needs and knowledge of local communities, leading to solutions that are not only ineffective but also detrimental to those most dependent on the river. For example, the construction of large dams and hydroelectric projects along the Ganges has disrupted the river’s natural flow, affecting both the environment and the livelihoods of communities that rely on the river for agriculture and fishing. These projects, driven by high modernist ideals of development, prioritize technological solutions over ecological and community-based approaches, perpetuating the cycle of violence against the Ganges and its people.
