<p>Baba Nagnath, the Peethadheeshwar (chief) of the Mahashmashana Naath Peeth, who started his fast-unto-death on July 19, 2008 to save the Ganga from pollution, has been admitted to the Banaras Hindu University medical college hospital after his condition deteriorated on Wednesday.<br /><br />“Baba Nagnath is suffering from severe de-hydration and and is having respiratory problems,” doctors at the Shiv Prasad Gupta hospital, where he was earlier admitted, said.<br /><br /><br />Nagnath’s demands include ensuring free flow of the river water from Gaumukh, the origin of the river, to Gangasagar, where it meets the ocean.<br /><br />The flow of river has been disrupted after the construction of Tehri dam. Earlier, the sadhu had been forcibly taken to a government hospital in Varanasi on the 241st day of his fast, yet he continued his protest.<br /><br />Of late, the one-man initiative has evoked widespread support in the holy city with several organisations rallying behind him, urging the Centre and the state government to meet his demands forthwith. Despite spending a huge amount of money under the much-hyped Ganga Action Plan, the river continued to be highly polluted. Water samples taken from the river in Varanasi have shown presence of alarming level of faecal-coliform. <br /></p>
<p>Baba Nagnath, the Peethadheeshwar (chief) of the Mahashmashana Naath Peeth, who started his fast-unto-death on July 19, 2008 to save the Ganga from pollution, has been admitted to the Banaras Hindu University medical college hospital after his condition deteriorated on Wednesday.<br /><br />“Baba Nagnath is suffering from severe de-hydration and and is having respiratory problems,” doctors at the Shiv Prasad Gupta hospital, where he was earlier admitted, said.<br /><br /><br />Nagnath’s demands include ensuring free flow of the river water from Gaumukh, the origin of the river, to Gangasagar, where it meets the ocean.<br /><br />The flow of river has been disrupted after the construction of Tehri dam. Earlier, the sadhu had been forcibly taken to a government hospital in Varanasi on the 241st day of his fast, yet he continued his protest.<br /><br />Of late, the one-man initiative has evoked widespread support in the holy city with several organisations rallying behind him, urging the Centre and the state government to meet his demands forthwith. Despite spending a huge amount of money under the much-hyped Ganga Action Plan, the river continued to be highly polluted. Water samples taken from the river in Varanasi have shown presence of alarming level of faecal-coliform. <br /></p>
