Ganges Pollution: A Health Crisis For Millions?

The Ganges River is one of the most polluted waterways in the world, posing a significant threat to human health and the environment. With its origin in the Himalayan foothills, it stretches across northern India and provides water to approximately 40% of India's population, which equates to more than 500 million people. The river is revered by Hindus as the Mother Goddess Ganga and holds immense religious significance, with people performing rituals, bathing, and even consuming its water. However, the Ganges is severely polluted with human waste, industrial contaminants, and agricultural runoff. The disposal of human sewage, animal waste, and untreated industrial effluents has led to high levels of toxic pollutants and waterborne illnesses. The Indian government has been attempting to clean up the river since the 1980s, but despite significant investments, the efforts have yielded limited success. The ongoing pollution of the Ganges raises concerns about the health and well-being of the millions of people who depend on it.

Waterborne diseases

The Ganges is the largest river in the Indian subcontinent, flowing through 11 Indian states and serving an estimated 400 to 500 million people—more than any other river in the world. It is also one of the most polluted bodies of water, posing a significant threat to human health.

Cholera

The Ganges has been linked to cholera, an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. In 2006, a study found that the overall rate of waterborne disease incidence, including acute gastrointestinal diseases, was estimated to be about 66%. A separate study in Varanasi, India, found that the overall rate of waterborne and enteric disease incidence, including acute gastrointestinal disease, cholera, dysentery, hepatitis-A, and typhoid, was about 66% during the one-year period prior to the survey.

Diarrhea

Diarrhea is another waterborne disease that has been associated with the Ganges. It is often caused by fecal contamination of food and water and is prevalent in areas with poor sanitation. In a study conducted in 2020, it was found that diarrhea remains one of the leading causes of death among children in India.

Dysentery

Dysentery is a type of gastroenteritis that results in diarrhea with blood. Like cholera, it is spread by fecal contamination of food and water and is usually found in areas with poor sanitation. Dysentery is carried by the Ganges and is caused by Entamoeba histolytica, an amoeba that can survive for long periods outside the body and infect others.

Hepatitis-A

Hepatitis-A is a waterborne disease that has been linked to the Ganges river. It is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV), which is typically transmitted through ingestion of contaminated food or water.

Typhoid

Typhoid is a life-threatening illness caused by the bacterium Salmonella typhi and is often associated with poor sanitation and a lack of clean drinking water. It can easily be prevented by following simple rules, including proper hygiene, sanitation, and frequent hand washing.

Skin Diseases

In addition to the above-mentioned waterborne diseases, exposure to contaminated water from the Ganges has also led to a predominance of skin diseases among the fishing community. Incidences of skin afflictions were found to have significantly increased over the last 10 years.

The pollution of the Ganges and the resulting waterborne diseases pose a significant threat to the health and well-being of the millions of people who rely on it. Various initiatives and programs, such as the Namami Gange program, have been undertaken to clean up the river and improve the sanitation and sewage treatment infrastructure. However, the effectiveness of these efforts has been limited, and the river continues to be a source of waterborne diseases.

Industrial waste

The Ganges River, known as the Ganga in India, is revered by Hindus as a sacred river. However, it is also one of the most polluted waterways in the world. Stretching from the Himalayan foothills to the Bay of Bengal, the river provides water to nearly half a billion people across 11 Indian states.

The Ganges River is severely polluted with industrial waste, making it dangerous for drinking or bathing. Here are some key points about industrial waste in the Ganges:

• Each day, more than 500 million liters of industrial wastewater are dumped directly into the river, often completely untreated.
• The city of Kanpur is the most polluted city along the Ganges, producing nine million liters of industrial waste daily, mainly from tanneries.
• 764 industries along the mainstream of the Ganges consume 1123 million liters of water and discharge 500 million liters of wastewater per day.
• 90% of industrial pollution is concentrated along the river's stretch in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
• Sugar, pulp, paper, and distillery industries are responsible for 70% of the pollution.
• Tanneries release hazardous toxins, including chromium, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, nickel, sulphide ammonium, chemical dyes, sulfuric acid, and methane.
• Chromium levels in the river have increased by up to 70 times the recommended maximum level due to the tanning industry.
• Other heavy metals found in the river include zinc, nickel, copper, and cadmium, with higher concentrations downstream than upstream.
• The presence of arsenic has been detected in groundwater sources in all five states that the Ganges flows through.
• Industrial waste has contaminated groundwater and crops, as farmers have no alternative but to use this water for irrigation.
• The Indian government has taken some action, including closing down 48 industrial units and introducing stricter norms for pollution abatement, which has led to a 35% reduction in industrial waste flowing into the river.
• However, the effectiveness of treatment plants in removing heavy metal toxins is questionable, and treated waters released into the river may remain toxic.

Human waste

The Ganges River is revered by Hindus as the Mother Goddess Ganga and is a vital source of water for over 40% of India's population. However, it is also one of the most polluted rivers in the world, with human waste being a significant contributor.

The Ganges River is heavily polluted with human sewage, which poses a significant threat to human health and the environment. Due to spiritual beliefs, many people consider the river's water pure and immune to human actions, leading to the disposal of massive amounts of garbage, including human remains, into the river. This practice results in high levels of coliform bacteria, which are linked to waterborne illnesses that kill approximately 1.5 million children annually in India.

The main sources of human waste in the Ganges are untreated sewage and the disposal of human remains. Sewage treatment plants are inadequate, with only 37% of the 72,368 million liters of sewage generated daily being treated. As a result, three-quarters of the sewage in the northern plains ends up in the river and its tributaries without any treatment.

The problem is exacerbated by the high population density along the river, with the river flowing through numerous cities and towns. Varanasi, one of the holiest cities on the banks of the Ganges, is a significant contributor to human waste pollution. It is estimated that 40,000 bodies are cremated annually and deposited into the river, with many of them only partially cremated due to the high cost of cremation wood.

The presence of human waste in the river has severe health implications. Water from the Ganges has been linked to various waterborne diseases, including dysentery, cholera, hepatitis, and severe diarrhea, which is a leading cause of death among children in India. The river also harbors "superbugs" or bacteria resistant to commonly used antibiotics, further endangering the health of those who come into contact with the water.

Initiatives to Address Human Waste Pollution

Several initiatives have been undertaken to address the human waste pollution in the Ganges, including the Namami Gange project, which aims to improve sewage treatment infrastructure and intercept, divert, and treat wastewater. However, these efforts have had limited success, and critics attribute this to corruption and mismanagement.

Public awareness campaigns, such as the one led by the Banaras Cultural Foundation, are also working to educate people about the impact of their actions on the river. Additionally, electric crematoria have been constructed as an alternative to traditional wood-burning pyres, helping to reduce the number of trees chopped down and minimize river pollution.

Religious rituals

The Ganges River is sacred in the Hindu tradition. It is understood as the personification of the Goddess Ganga, a deity that can wash away sins and suffering and take the souls of the deceased straight to heaven.

The river is considered pure, and it is believed that bathing in the Ganges will bring redemption and liberation. Many people believe that bathing in the river on certain occasions causes the forgiveness of transgressions and helps attain salvation. Hindus also believe that life is incomplete without bathing in the Ganga at least once in their lifetime.

The water of the Ganges is called Gangaajal, meaning "water of the Ganges". The Puranas, ancient Hindu scriptures, say that the sight, the name, and the touch of the Ganges cleanses one of all sins and that taking a dip in the sacred river bestows heavenly blessings.

The ancient scriptures mention that the water of the Ganges carries the blessings of Lord Vishnu's feet; hence Mother Ganges is also known as Vishnupadi, meaning "emanating from the lotus feet of Supreme Lord Sri Vishnu". Another name for the goddess is Ma Ganga, or Mother Ganga.

Several sites along the banks of the river are considered especially sacred, including Prayag (Allahabad), Haridwar, and Varanasi (Benares). People travel from distant places to immerse the ashes of relatives in the waters of the Ganga, as this immersion is believed to send the departed to Moksha, ending the cycle of reincarnation.

In most Hindu families, a vial of water from the Ganga is kept in every house. This is done because it is auspicious to have water from the Holy Ganga in the house, and also so that a dying person will be able to drink its water.

The banks of the River Ganges host hundreds of Hindu festivals and celebrations each year. For example, on the 10th of the month of Jyestha, the Ganga Dussehra celebrates the descent of the sacred river to earth from heaven. On this day, a dip in the holy river while invoking the Goddess is said to purify sins and wipe away physical ailments.

The Kumbh Mela, another sacred ritual, is a Hindu festival during which pilgrims to the Ganges bathe themselves in the sacred waters. The festival occurs in the same place only every 12 years, though a Kumbh Mela celebration can be found annually somewhere along the river. It is considered to be the world's largest peaceful gathering and is featured on UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Sewage treatment

There are two main stages of sewage treatment, called primary and secondary treatment. Advanced treatment methods may also incorporate a tertiary treatment stage with polishing processes and nutrient removal. The primary treatment stage involves removing large objects like cans, rags, and sticks, followed by the removal of grit, which includes sand, gravel, and other heavy materials. This is done to prevent damage to the pumps and sewage lines used in the subsequent treatment stages. The secondary treatment stage focuses on removing solid material and using biological processes to digest and remove soluble organic matter.

Some advanced sewage treatment plants may include a tertiary treatment stage, which further improves the effluent quality before it is discharged into a receiving water body or reused. This stage may include biological nutrient removal, disinfection, and the removal of micropollutants such as pharmaceuticals and environmental persistent pollutants.

The choice of sewage treatment technology depends on various factors, including the desired effluent quality, construction and operating costs, energy requirements, and sustainability. In developing countries or rural areas, sewage is often treated using on-site sanitation systems like septic tanks connected to drain fields or vermifilter systems. In contrast, advanced and more expensive sewage treatment plants are typically found in high-income countries, incorporating centralized systems with networks of pipes and pump stations that convey sewage to a treatment plant.

The overall goal of sewage treatment is to produce an effluent that can be discharged into the environment while minimizing water pollution or to produce an effluent that can be reused in a beneficial manner. This process is essential for protecting human health and the environment, especially in the case of the Ganges River, where sewage and industrial pollution pose significant threats.

Frequently asked questions