Transformation and resistance on the Upper Ganga: the ongoing legacy of British canal irrigation

Abstract

This article compares colonial and post-colonial transformations to the upper stretches of the River Ganga in north India. Exploring mixed sensitivities to the Ganga’s developmental and religious significance, the discussion draws on the historical record to compare the implementation and impacts of canal irrigation technologies under the British with contemporary policies to build hydroelectric dams on the sacred river. The article evaluates similarities between the two, while investigating the veracity of activist claims that the British were more sensitive than the independent Government of India to the demands of river devotees that the Ganga continue to flow unfettered past sites of cultural and religious significance.