The Ganges, India's longest river, is considered a living goddess in Hinduism, and so Morphogensis' 'A River in Need' project hopes to give it the respect and treatment it deserves. The project proposal aims to rehabilitate the ghats (flights of stairways leading down to the river) and crematoria that line a 210-kilometer stretch of its banks.
As an important religious figure, the Ganges supports the largest human population of any river in the world and hosts several different ceremonies like births and cremations. However, due to inadequate resources, the cremations in particular aren't typically carried out hygienically, leading to as many as 600,000 deaths per year from water-borne diseases. 'A River in Need' will not only be a beautification project, but it will revamp the riverside crematoria so that the Hindu ceremonies can be conducted safely.
Broad-Spanning River Developments
Morphogenesis' 'A River in Need' Will Rehabilitate the Ganges
Trend Themes
1. River Rehabilitation - Projects aimed at rehabilitating rivers in developing countries could offer disruptive innovations, such as revamping ghats and crematoria in the project Morphogenesis' 'A River in Need'.
2. Hygienic Ceremonies - Revamping the crematoria alongside the riverbank of Ganges could offer opportunities for disruptive innovations in hygiene to be introduced to the ceremonies, thereby contributing to the reduction of water-borne diseases.
3. Religious Tourism - The rehabilitation of rivers like the Ganges, that support important religious activities, could result in new business opportunities in religious tourism.
Industry Implications
1. Water Sanitation - Water sanitation technologies could be adapted as disruptive innovations that can contribute to the reduction of water-borne diseases caused by the inadequate handling of cremations on riverbanks.
2. Construction - Projects aimed at rehabilitating rivers like the Ganges could require the need for innovative construction techniques that could provide disruptive solutions in the industry.
3. Tourism - Rehabilitation of rivers that support important religious ceremonies, like the Ganges, could offer opportunities for disruptive tourism innovations.