The garbage-polluted Ganga river cleaning is being under a programe worth Rs 20,000 crore, but will the efforts to clean it be effective in the Ganga and Yamuna rivers?
The CPCB report on the Prayagraj Kumbh in 2019 clearly indicated that the water quality was poor even on major bathing days. The CPCB report, ‘Environmental impact of mass bathing on the water quality of the Ganga river during the Kumbh Mela’, highlighted the issue.
In the last 2 days, the water level of both the Yamuna and Ganga river cleaning suddenly rose so much that more than a dozen ghats were washed away. The water level of the Ganga is rising faster than that of the Yamuna, making the Amrit Jal of the Triveni Sangam look slightly cleaner. The Ganga is rising at a speed of 20 centimetres per hour. The danger mark of the Ganga in Prayagraj is 84.734 metres.
According to a report submitted by the CPCB to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), high levels of faecal coliform (a germ released from human and animal feces) were found in the rivers in which people took a holy dip during the Maha Kumbh. Over 55 crore people have visited the Maha Kumbh.
Ganga river cleaning cost
India’s Central Pollution Control Board has spent Rs 20,000 crore on Ganga river cleaning between 1986 and 2014. The Modi government has spent an additional Rs 13,000 crore from 2014 till October 2022.
After Uttar Pradesh, Bihar (Rs 3,516.63 crore), West Bengal (Rs 1,320.39 crore), Delhi (Rs 1,253.86 crore) and Uttarakhand (Rs 1,117.34 crore) are ranked in Ganga river cleaning.
Three billion liters of water is the amount of sewage generated daily by cities and towns around the Ganges river in India, which is equivalent to 1,200 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Is Ganga water safe to drink?
Now it is not at all appropriate to drink Ganga water without reason or to sprinkle it here and there in the house. We Indians respect Mother Ganga a lot, but this does not mean that we should not drink Ganga water like bottled water without testing it.
According to the report of the Central Pollution Control Board, the amount of fecal coliform bacteria in the water of Ganga and Yamuna has been found to be more than the standard. This bacteria can cause diseases. The NGT has also directed the UP government to give information to the devotees about the quality of Ganga water.
Who is polluting Ganga water?
However, there are two main sources of pollution in the Ganga – industrial waste (15%) and municipal sewage (80%), which is the highest. Apart from this, effluent from villages and farms, open defecation, immersion of dead bodies, religious offerings also cause pollution.
