Ganga's Pollution: Understanding The Root Causes

The Ganges River, or Ganga, is the largest river in India and is considered sacred by the people of the country. The river is one of the most densely populated river basins in the world, with the river flowing through 29 cities, each with a population of over a million people. The river is also a source of water for approximately 40% of India's population across 11 states, serving an estimated 500 million people. However, the river is highly polluted, with sewage, industrial waste, agricultural runoff, and remnants of funeral pyres contributing to the pollution. Despite various initiatives to clean up the river, the pollution continues to pose a significant threat to human health and the environment.

Untreated sewage

The Ganges is the largest river in India, supplying water to around 40% of the country's population across 11 states, serving an estimated 500 million people. However, the river is highly polluted, and untreated sewage is a significant contributor to this issue.

The Ganges basin is one of the most densely populated regions globally, with the river running through 29 cities, each with a population of over 1 million people. This high population density results in a considerable amount of sewage water entering the Ganges, with a higher organic load. It is estimated that nearly 37 billion litres of untreated sewage flow into the river daily, equivalent to a Sydney Harbour's worth of raw sewage every two weeks. The sewage comes from municipal sources, including cities, towns, and villages along the river's banks, and it has severe consequences for the health of the river and those who depend on it.

The sewage pollution in the Ganges has been linked to water-borne diseases such as dysentery, cholera, hepatitis, and acute diarrhoea, which is a leading cause of child mortality in India. The high levels of disease-causing bacteria and toxic substances in the water pose a significant threat to human health and the environment.

To address the issue of sewage pollution in the Ganges, the Indian government has launched several initiatives, including the Namami Gange Programme in 2014, with a budget of ₹20,000 crore allocated for effective pollution abatement, conservation, and rejuvenation of the river. The programme aims to utilise bio-remediation, appropriate in-situ treatment, innovative technologies, sewage treatment plants (STPs), and effluent treatment plants (ETPs). Additionally, the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), established in 2016, is working towards comprehensive cleaning and conservation of the Ganges and its tributaries.

Despite these efforts, the problem of untreated sewage in the Ganges persists. The river's inability to maintain its "e-flow" due to human diversion for agriculture and other purposes remains a challenge. The growing scarcity of water in the Ganges is a significant concern, and determining optimal water use is crucial in balancing food security and environmental integrity.

Industrial waste

The Ganges River, or Ganga, is revered by the villagers who live along its banks, but it is also one of India's most polluted rivers. Hundreds of millions of litres of contaminated water enter the river every day, threatening both human health and the environment. The river supplies water to approximately 40% of India's population across 11 states, serving an estimated 500 million people.

One of the main sources of pollution in the Ganga is industrial waste. Several manufacturing plants, including rubber, plastic, and leather factories, have been built along the riverbank and discharge their waste directly into the water. Industrial effluents account for around 12% of the total effluent entering the Ganges. These effluents are a serious concern because they are often poisonous and non-biodegradable. For example, a coal-fired power plant on the banks of the Pandu River, a tributary of the Ganges, burns 600,000 tonnes of coal each year and releases 210,000 tonnes of fly ash into the river. This ash is mixed with household wastewater and contains toxic heavy metals like lead and copper.

The Ganges basin is one of the most densely populated regions globally, and the river runs through many industrial cities. Numerous tanneries, chemical plants, textile mills, distilleries, slaughterhouses, and hospitals have been established along the banks of the Ganges, contributing to the river's pollution. The river's inability to maintain its "e-flow" due to human diversion for agriculture and the increasing population's demands further prevents it from naturally cleansing itself.

The Indian government has recognised the severity of the problem and has taken steps to address it. In 2010, the government announced a $4 billion campaign to prevent untreated municipal sewage and industrial runoff from entering the river by 2020. The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) was established in 2016 to comprehensively clean the Ganges and its tributaries. Under the NMCG, the Namami Gange Programme was launched in 2014 with a budget of ₹20,000 crore allocated for pollution abatement, conservation, and rejuvenation of the Ganges. Despite these efforts, the river remains heavily polluted, and the proposed solutions, such as demolishing upstream dams, face challenges.

Agricultural runoff

Farms along the banks of the river and its tributaries rely on the water to irrigate millions of acres of agricultural crops, which provide food for nearly one-third of India's population. However, these farms often use non-organic methods, spraying their fields with harmful, toxic chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers. These chemicals are then washed into the river, filling it with dangerous, cancer-causing substances such as DDT and HCH. These chemicals have been found in levels far exceeding international safety standards and are harmful to anyone who uses the river for drinking, bathing, or cooking. They also negatively impact the aquatic life in the river, killing large populations of fish and other forms of aquatic life.

The issue of agricultural runoff is particularly prominent in the heavily industrialized Kanpur region, which is the most polluted stretch of the Ganga River. Here, agricultural runoff, along with climate change, contributes to the high levels of pollution in the river. The effects of climate change and land use change have been found to add to the deterioration of water quality, with nutrient levels in the river indicating a high risk of eutrophication.

To address the problem of agricultural runoff, there is a need to promote sustainable and organic farming practices among farmers in the region. This includes raising awareness about the dangers of toxic chemicals in pesticides and fertilizers and educating farmers about the benefits of adopting organic farming methods. Implementing policies to prevent toxic chemical runoff from entering the river and creating wastewater management plans are also crucial steps in mitigating the issue.

Overall, agricultural runoff is a significant contributor to the pollution of the River Ganga, and addressing this issue through the promotion of sustainable farming practices and the implementation of wastewater management plans is essential for protecting the health of the river, the people who depend on it, and the environment.

Human and animal carcasses

The Ganges River, or Ganga, is regarded as a sacred river by the villagers who worship it as a deity. It is the largest river in India and is the most important river system in the country. The river flows from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal in eastern India, covering a distance of about 1,560 miles (2,510-2,525 kilometres). The river basin of the Ganges is one of the most densely populated regions on Earth, with a population of over 650 million people.

The river supplies water to approximately 40% of India's population across 11 states and serves an estimated 500 million people, which is more than any other river in the world. However, the ongoing pollution of the Ganges poses a significant threat to both human health and the environment. The main causes of water pollution in the Ganges River are the disposal of human sewage, animal waste, and industrial waste.

One of the issues contributing to the pollution of the Ganges River is the dumping of human and animal carcasses into the river. Human remains have been found on the river's ghats and submerged in the water. Animal carcasses, mainly cattle, also end up in the river, adding to the pollution. The high organic load in the river, including sewage and animal waste, leads to increased pollution levels and negative impacts on the environment.

The Ganges River receives a significant amount of sewage from the cities and towns along its banks. It flows through 100 cities with populations exceeding 100,000 people and 97 cities with populations between 50,000 and 100,000 people. The sewage from these populated areas contributes to the high organic load in the river, which further degrades the water quality.

To address the issue of human and animal carcasses in the Ganges River, the Indian government has implemented various initiatives and programs. The Ganga Action Plan (GAP), launched in 1985, aimed to improve water quality by intercepting, diverting, and treating domestic sewage, as well as preventing toxic and industrial chemical wastes from entering the river. The plan also included objectives such as controlling non-point source pollution from human defecation, cattle wallowing, and the disposal of human remains in the river.

Despite these efforts, the pollution in the Ganges River remains a persistent problem. In 2010, the Indian government announced a $4 billion campaign to ensure that no untreated municipal sewage or industrial runoff enters the river by 2020. The Namami Gange Programme, launched in 2014, allocated a budget of ₹20,000 crore for effective pollution abatement, conservation, and rejuvenation of the Ganges. However, as of 2016, an estimated ₹30 billion (US$460 million) had been spent on various cleaning efforts with little success.

Riverbed quarrying

The practice of quarrying involves the extraction of stone and sand from the riverbed, often for use in construction. In the case of the Ganga, illegal mining and quarrying activities have disrupted the natural flow of the river and affected its ecological integrity. This has resulted in portions of the river being transformed into stagnant reservoirs, with water levels rising and causing frequent landslides in the Himalayan region.

The Ganga Action Plan, an environmental initiative launched in 1985 by then-Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, aimed to address the pollution of the river, including the impact of quarrying. Despite this, illegal mining and quarrying have persisted, particularly in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, where the river first touches the plains. In 2011, a Hindu monk, Swami Nigamananda Saraswati, fasted to death in protest of the pollutive riverbed quarrying in this region. Following his death, the Government of Uttarakhand banned riverbed mining in the Bhogpur and Bishanpur ghats and formed a special committee to assess the environmental impacts of quarrying on the river and surrounding areas.

The construction of dams, barrages, and embankments, in addition to mining activities, has further disrupted the longitudinal and lateral connectivity of the river. This has hindered the exchange of resources, nutrients, and biota between terrestrial, wetland, and river ecosystems, impacting the overall ecological health of the river basin.

The preservation of the River Ganga is crucial due to its cultural, religious, and ecological significance. It is considered sacred by Hindus, who worship it as the goddess Ganga, and it is home to numerous species, including the critically endangered gharial and South Asian river dolphin.

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