India has a population of over 1 billion people, which is growing rapidly at a birth rate of 44 births per minute. This overpopulation is straining India's resources and causing problems. Most Indians live along the Ganges River, where the population density is 610 people per square mile, much higher than the United States. The Ganges is a sacred river in Hinduism and provides water for drinking, cleaning, and bathing, but pollution from the large population is now a major issue for the river.