India, Aug. 17 -- If the planners wish to follow ancient wisdom, then the Ganga and other rivers have decided their territory for them to earmark, and not encroach.

According to the Brihaddharma Purana (Page 322), four days before Janmashtami, the extent of water of the Ganga should be considered as its womb, Nadi Garbha. The river flows at its peak (in general) and defines the river corridor. The two-kos kshetra (about six kilometres) all around the river bank is the floodplain devoid of all sins and no activity should be allowed in this flow path, according to the religious text.

Would planners follow their own scriptures to avert disaster in a state headed by a monk chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who is passionately pursuing his dre...