River Ganga Named India's First Living Entity, Court Names Parents Too The river Ganga, said to be the cradle of Indian civilization, has been given the status of the "first living entity of India" by the Uttarakhand high court. The landmark judgment of the court gives Ganga rights similar to a living person, and is expected to have a positive bearing on efforts to clean up the polluted and much abused river. Similar status has been given to Yamuna, the tributary of Ganga, which, to the despair of courts, has practically become a sewer owing to dumping of untreated sewage and industrial pollutants. http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/river-ganga-named-indias-first-living-entity-court-names-parents-too-1671581?pfrom=home-lateststories