Before it was reported that Ganga river water is absolutely unfit for “direct drinking” and only seven spots from where it passes can be consumed after disinfection, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has said.
A map released by the CPCB shows high level of coliform bacteria in the river. Out of 86 live monitoring stations installed in as many locations, only seven areas have been found to be fit for drinking after disinfection process, while 78 have been found unfit.
The main cause of water pollution in the Ganges river are the increase in the population density, various human activities such as bathing, washing clothes, the bathing of animals, and dumping of various harmful industrial waste into the rivers.
Human waste
The river flows through 100 cities with populations over 100,000; 97 cities with population between 50,000 to 100,000, and about 48 towns. A large proportion of the sewage water with higher organic load in the Ganges is from this population through domestic water usage.
Industrial waste
Because of the establishment of a large number of industrial cities on the bank of the Ganges like Kanpur, Prayagraj, Varanasi and Patna, countless tanneries, chemical plants, textile mills, distilleries, slaughterhouses, and hospitals prosper and grow along this and contribute to the pollution of the Ganges by dumping untreated waste into it. One coal-based power plant on the banks of the Pandu River, a Ganges tributary near the city of Kanpur, burns 600,000 tons of coal each year and produces 210,000 tons of fly ash. The ash is dumped into ponds from which a slurry is filtered, mixed with domestic wastewater, and then released into the Pandu River. Fly ash contains toxic heavy metals such as lead and copper. The amount of parts per million of copper released in the Pandu before it even reaches the Ganges is a thousand times higher than in uncontaminated water Industrial effluents are about 12% of the total volume of effluent reaching the Ganges. Although a relatively low proportion, they are a cause for major concern because they are often toxic and non-biodegradable.
Religious traditions
During festival seasons, over 70 million people bathe in the Ganga river to clean themselves from their past sins. Some materials like food, waste or leaves are left in the Ganga river which are also responsible for its pollution. Traditional beliefs hold that being cremated on its banks and to float down the Ganga will atone for the sins of those who die and carry them directly to salvation. In Varanasi alone, an estimated forty thousand bodies are cremated every year, many of which are only half-burnt.
With people staying indoors and industries shut, the Ganga river, flowing through Varanasi and Haridwar, has seen a significant improvement in water quality during the coronavirus lockdown. And now after observation, scientists have claimed that the water quality has seen a remarkable improvement and is even fit for drinking.
One tenth of the pollutants in the Ganga come from industries, nearby hotels and other sources. With all of these shut, the quality of water has improved by forty to fifty percent.
These areas also received rainfall in the past few weeks, as a result of which the water levels have also gone up.
Furthermore, because of the recent rainfall, the water levels have also improved. Since there are less cars on the road, pollution and air quality index have improved drastically. Recently, some migratory birds were also seen returning and so was the marine life.
