Editing Ganges (section)

==Economy==
[[File:A girl selling plastic containers for carrying Ganges water, Haridwar.jpg|thumb|upright|A girl selling plastic containers in Haridwar for carrying Ganges water.]]

The [[Ganges Basin]] with its fertile soil is instrumental to the agricultural economies of India and Bangladesh. The Ganges and its tributaries provide a perennial source of irrigation to a large area. Chief crops cultivated in the area include rice, [[sugarcane]], [[lentil]]s, [[oil seed]]s, potatoes, and wheat. Along the banks of the river, the presence of [[swamp]]s and lakes provides a rich growing area for crops such as legumes, chillies, mustard, sesame, sugarcane, and jute. There are also many fishing opportunities along the river, though it remains highly polluted. Also, the major industrial towns of [[Unnao]] and Kanpur, situated on the banks of the river with the predominance of tanning industries add to the pollution.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/file/pollution%20caused%20by%20leather%20tannery%20industry%20in%20Unnao%20district.pdf|title=Report of the committee on pollution caused by leather tanning industry to the water bodies / ground water in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh|type=PDF|access-date=23 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140822200701/http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/file/pollution%20caused%20by%20leather%20tannery%20industry%20in%20Unnao%20district.pdf |archive-date=22 August 2014}}</ref>

===Tourism===
Tourism is another related activity. Three towns holy to Hinduism—Haridwar, Prayagraj, and Varanasi—attract millions of pilgrims to its waters to take a dip in the Ganges, which is believed to cleanse oneself of sins and help attain salvation. The rapids of the Ganges are also popular for [[rafting|river rafting]] in the town of Rishikesh, attracting adventure seekers in the summer months. Several cities such as Kanpur, Kolkata and Patna have also developed riverfront walkways along the banks to attract tourists.<ref name=Behteri1>{{cite news|author=Sushovan Sircar|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1140311/jsp/calcutta/story_18037449.jsp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140424060712/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1140311/jsp/calcutta/story_18037449.jsp|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 April 2014|title=Take a walk along the Hooghly|newspaper=[[The Telegraph (Calcutta)|The Telegraph]]|date=11 March 2014|access-date=24 April 2014}}</ref><ref name=Behteri3>{{cite news|author=Piyush Kumar Tripathi|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130803/jsp/bihar/story_17188971.jsp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140424210840/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130803/jsp/bihar/story_17188971.jsp|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 April 2014|title=Funds flow for riverfront project|newspaper=[[The Telegraph (Calcutta)|The Telegraph]]|date=3 August 2013|access-date=24 April 2014}}</ref><ref name=Behteri2>{{cite news |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/Ganga-pathway-to-be-complete-in-three-years/articleshow/34068161.cms|title=Ganga pathway to be complete in three years|work=[[The Times of India]]|date=22 April 2014|access-date=24 April 2014|archive-date=14 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220914064419/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/Ganga-pathway-to-be-complete-in-three-years/articleshow/34068161.cms|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kanpur/Central-govt-approval-to-KDAs-riverfront-development-project/articleshow/45304859.cms |title=Central govt approval to KDA's riverfront development project |newspaper=The Times of India |date=28 November 2014 |publisher=The Times of India Mobile Site |access-date=7 August 2016 |archive-date=22 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210622080137/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kanpur/central-govt-approval-to-kdas-riverfront-development-project/articleshow/45304859.cms |url-status=live }}</ref>