pollution assessment of river ganga and various cleaning missions

8/10/2019 Pollution Assessment of River Ganga and Various Cleaning Missions

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IntroductionIndia is endowed with rich water resources. Approximately 45,000 km long riverine systems

crisscross the length and breadth of the country. These rivers include Himalayan snow fed rivers,

peninsular rain fed rivers and coastal short rapids.

The total geographical area of 3.29 million square km of the country has been divided in to 12

major river basins, 46 medium river basins and 14 minor and desert river basins. The major river

basins account for 78% of total surface area and serve 80% of the population. The Ganga river

basin is the largest of these, extending over the states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana,

Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and West

Bengal.

Rapidly increasing population, rising standards of living and exponential growth of

industrialization and urbanization have exposed the water resources, in general, and rivers, in

particular, to various forms of degradation. The deterioration in the water quality of the riverimpacts the people immediately. Many Indian rivers, including the Ganga in some stretches,

particularly during lean flows, have become unfit even for bathing. Realizing that the rivers of

the country were in a serious state of degradation, a beginning towards their restoration was

made with the launching of the Ganga Action Plan in 1985. It was envisaged as a comprehensive

programme of river conservation with the objective of improving the water quality. It was

visualised that in due course, the programme would be enlarged to cover other major rivers of

the country.

The Ganga basin accounts for a little more than one-fourth (26.3%) of the country‘s total

geographical area and is the biggest river basin in India, covering the entire states of

Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh (UP), Bihar, Delhi, and parts of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh,Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal. The Ganga basin is bound in the north by the

Himalayas and in the south by the Vindhyas. The main river stream originates in the Garhwal

Himalaya (300 55‘ N, 7907‘ E) under the name of the Bhagirathi. The ice-cave of Gaumukh at

the snout of the Gangotri glacier, 4100 meters above sea level, is recognized as the traditional

source of River Ganga.



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The river cuts its path through the Himalayas and flows a distance of about 205 Kilometers

from Gaumukh and transverses through two districts of Uttrakhand state i.e. Uttarkashi and Tehri

to reach Devprayg where another head stream, the Alaknanda, joins it to form Holy Ganga.

The River Alaknanda is a tributary of the River Ganga Uttarakhand that begins at the meeting of

the Satopanth and Bhagirath Kharak glaciers in Uttarakhand and it travels approx. 190 km.

After flowing through the northern-most part of Uttarakhand, the river flows through UttarPradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, and finally drains into the Bay of Bengal. The river

traverses a length of 1450 km in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh while touching the boundary

between UP and Bihar for a stretch of 110 km. It then flows through Bihar, more or less covering

a distance of 405 km .The length of the river measured along the Bhagirathi and Hugli rivers

during its course in West Bengal is about 520 km. The River Ganga has a large number of

tributaries, namely, Kali, Ramganga, Yamuna, Gomti, Ghaghara, Gandak, and Kosi. The River

Yamuna, although a tributary of Ganga, is a river basin in itself. Its major tributaries are

Chambal, Sind, Betwa, and Ken. The main plateau tributaries of the Ganga river are Tons, Son,

Damodar, and Kangsabati-Haldi.

HistoryThe history of the Ganga River is old as the Indian civilization. It has seen the rise and fall of

many empires. It has been the prime witness of all the religions especially Hinduism, Buddhism,

Islam, Christianity and Jainism.

ORIGINSThe origin of river Ganges lies at the height of 13,800 feet in the mountain ranges of Himalayas,

in Tehri Garhwal, near Gangotri. It begins high in the Himalayas as a pair of head streams. It

begins in an ice cave in the mountains about 10,300 feet above sea level. Gangotri is known as

the place of origin of the revered Ganges River, known as Ganga in India it is also consider one

of the holy place in chota char dham . The holiest of the Indian rivers, is the longest river

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in India and the greatest waterway in India. The river has been declared as India's National

River. Ganges is the source of sustainment of life in the great Indian plains and it is at Gangotri

that the journey of Ganga begins. River Ganges gets water from the melting snow of Nanda

Devi, Gurla, Mandhata, Dhaulagiri, Gesaisthan, Kanchenjunga and Mount Everest. Many small

and big rivers merge with the Ganges in the Himalayan region. The Ganges river flows through

Bangladesh, but the greater part of it flows through India. The river flows across the northern

corner of India. The Ganges flows across India and Bangladesh until it empties out into the Bay

of Bengal. The great river provides water to many places, and many places rely on it.

Ganga Origin-Story of Bhagiratha

A) This is the most popular story regarding the origin of river Ganga. It is said that King Sagar

magically acquired sixty thousand sons. Once, King Sagar organized Ashvamedha Yagna, aritual of worship for the benefit of the kingdom. Jealous Indra stole one horse from the place.

King Sagar sent all his sons all over the earth to look for the horse. They found the horse in thenether-world standing next to Kapila Muni, a sage who was meditating. The youths, weredisrespectful disturbed the sage during his meditation hours. The sage in anger turned the youth

to ashes.

The souls of these young men wandered as ghosts as their final rites had not been done. The

sixty thousand sons of Sagar came searching for the horse to the hermitage of Sage Kapila. They

started to create nuisance, sage Kapila cursed them and they burnt to ashes. Anshuman another

son of king Sagar came searching for his sixty thousand brothers, to Kapila's hermitage. When hecame to know about the whole story he requested him to tell about the means by which his

brothers could attain salvation. Kapila said that his brothers would attain salvation, if the water

of Ganga were sprinkled on them.

Following the instructions of Kapila, Anshuman started doing penance on the Himalaya. But he

was not successful in his attempt to bring Ganga to earth. His son Dileep too tried, but in vain.

At last, Bhagiratha, the son of Dileep was successful in getting a boon from Lord Brahma, as a

result of which 'Ganga' descended down to earth. The force of the current was so great that there

was a fear of her entering the nether world, unless she was stopped on the earth. Bhagiratha

pleased Lord Shiva and requested him to hold her in his locks (hairs). Lord Shiva accepted i t and

saved the earth from devastation. He released Ganga on the earth, as a result of which Ganga was

subdivided

1) Dwadini 2) Pavani 3) Nalini flew towards the east 4) Vakshu, 5) Sita, 6) Sindhu flew towardsthe west and the seventh stream followed the route, as instructed by Bhagiratha, and hence was

called 7) Bhagirathi. Ultimately all the sixty thousand sons of Sagar were liberated by the

sprinkle of the water of the Ganga. Since then Ganga is sanctifying the mankind with her divine

waters.

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b) There are many versions of stories regarding the origin of Ganges. In another story the sage

Valmiki of Ramayana, Ganges was the daughter of 'Himalaya' and 'Maina'. The deities abducted

her and took her to heaven and from then onwards, 'Ganga' started living inside the 'Karmandala'

(a spout shaped vessel). According to Kritivas Ramayana the deities had taken 'Ganga' to Lord

Shiva to get her married with him. When 'Maina' did not find her in the house, she cursed to

attain the form of water.

c) Along the banks on Ganga there are many cities but among them two are famous and these are

Haridwar and Allahabad. The reason behind this is they host world‘s largest festival known

as Kumbh Mela. Ganga has far more importance than just a sources of water for millions of people around the world who worship her as a mother who provides salvation from this world

and cleans reaction of their past misdeeds. She is not a river she is our beloved mother who take

care of our basic needs.

GANGA BASIN

Background

The Himalayas are the source of three major Indian rivers namely the Indus, the Ganga and the

Brahmaputra. Ganga drains a basin of extraordinary variation in altitude, climate, land use, floraand fauna, social and cultural life. Ganga has been a cradle of human civilization since time

immemorial. Millions depend on this great river for physical and spiritual sustenance.

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People have immense faith in the powers of healing and regeneration of the Ganga. It is one of

the most sacred rivers in the world and is deeply revered by the people of this country. The River

plays a vital role in religious ceremonies and rituals. To bathe in Ganga is a lifelong ambition ofmany who congregate in large numbers for several river centered festivals such as Kumbh Mela

and numerous Snan (bath) festivals.

Salient Features of River GangaTotal length 2525 kms

Length in Uttarakhand 450 kms

Length in Uttar Pradesh 1000 kms

Length in Bihar 405 kms

Jharkhand 40 kms

West Bengal 520 kms

Sharing length between UP & Bihar 110 kms

Catchment Area Ganga Basin 861404 sq. km

Annual discharge Average 493400 million cubic meterMain Tributaries Yamuna, Ramganga, Gomti, Ghaghara,

Gandak, Damodar, Kosi & Kali-East

Demography (Riparian States along Ganga River)State / UT Persons Density (persons

per km2)

Urban Population

Uttarakhand 10,116,752 190/km2 30,91,169 (30.55%)

Uttar Pradesh 199,581,477 828/km2 4,44,70,455(22.28%

)

Bihar 103,804,637 1,102/km2 1,17,29,609(11.30%)

Jharkhand 1,150,038 720/km2 79,29,292

West Bengal 91,347,736 1,029/km2 2,91,34,060

(31.89%)

Total 437,816,840(43.78 Crore) 96,354,585 (9.63 Crore)

(22% )

State Wise Distribution of Drainage Area of the Ganga

River in India



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Developments in Ganga basin

Total Surface water resource of Ganga River has been assessed as 33 X 107 cusec out of which 7

X 107 cusec of surface water has been put to use. In addition, the annual groundwater potential

for irrigation, domestic and industrial usage in the Ganga basin has been assessed at 11 X 107cusec and out of which 7 X 107 cusec of groundwater is being used as per records of Central

Ground Water Board.

Due to large scale developments in the Ganga Basin, the river ecosystem is being affected

adversely. To understand the present scenario in the Ganga basin, the river Ganga can beclassified into three reaches.

Upper Ganga Reach

The river Ganga, in the upper reaches flows on a steep and narrow bed, mostly rocks and

boulders. This reach is considered to have immense potential for harnessing hydropower. A line

diagram showing hydro power projects on Ganga River from Gaumukh to Haridwar



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There are two types of projects on river Ganga- Hydropower projects in the upper reaches planned and implemented by various Central and State agencies viz. Uttrakhand Jal Vidyut

Nigam Limited (UJVVNL) and the irrigation (canal system) projects in the downstream middle

reaches constructed by the State Irrigation Departments of Uttrakhand/Uttar Pradesh.

The hydropower projects in Uttrakhand are mostly run of the river (ROR) type except the Tehri

Dam Project which is a storage project for hydropower development and augments the non-

monsoon river flows due to storage of flood water in monsoon period. Besides, there are six

existing (ROR type) hydro projects in operation and seven (ROR types) projects under

construction.

SL. NO. NAME OF

THEPROJEC

T

CAPACITY

IN MW

NAME OF

CO.

DISTRICT RIVER

A. UNDER OPERATION (Existing)

1 Tehri Dam 1000 THDC Tehri Bhagirathi

2 Visnuprayag

HEP

400 JPVL Chamoli Alaknanda

3 KoteshwarHEP

400 THDC Tehri Bhagirathi

4 Maneri Bhali-

I HEP

90 UJVNL Uttarkashi Bhagirathi

5 Maneri Bhali-

II HEP

304 UJVNL Uttarkashi Bhagirathi

6 Chilla HEP 144 UJVNL Pauri Ganga



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7 Bhilangana 22.5 Swasti

Power

Tehri Bhilangana

B. UNDER CONSTRUCTION

1 Tapovan

Vishnugad

HEP

520 NTPC Chamoli Dhauliganga

2 Tehri-psp(stage-II)

1000 THDC Tehri Bhagirathi

3 Phata ByungHEP

76 LANCO Rudraprayag

Mandakini

4 Singoli

Bhatwari HEP

99 L & T Rudrapraya

g

Mandakini

5 VishnugadPipalkoti HEP

444 THDC Chamoli Alakananda

6 AlaknandaHEP

300 GMR Chamoli Alakananda

7 Srinagar HEP 330 GVK Pauri AlakanandaC. DPR PREPARED / SUBMITTED

1 Kotli Bhel – I

A HEP

195 NHPC Tehri Bhagirathi

2 Kotli Bhel – IB HEP

320 NHPC Pauri Alakananda

3 Kotli Bhel – IIHEP

530 NHPC Pauri Ganga

4 Bowla Nandprayag

HEP

300 UJNVL Chamoli Alakananda

5 NandprayagLangasu HEP

100 UJNVL Chamoli Alakananda

D. PROJECTS UNDER INVESTIGATION

1 Karmoli

HEP

140 THDC Uttarkashi Jadhganga

2 Gohana Tal

HEP

60 THDC Chamoli Birahigana

ga

3 Jadhganga

HEP

50 THDC Uttarkashi Jadhganga

4 MalarijelamHEP

114 THDC Chamoli Dhauliganga

5 Tamak LataHEP

280 UJNVL Chamoli Dhauliganga

6 Rishi Ganga – I HEP

70 UJNVL Chamoli Rishiganga



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7 Rishi Ganga

– II HEP

35 UJNVL Chamoli Rishigang

a

8 Bhilanganga

- II HEP

11 UJNVL Tehri Bhilangan

a

9 Bhilanganga

– III HEP

25 Polyplex Tehri Bhagirathi

10 Jalandharigad HEP

11.8 HausilHydro

Uttarkashi Bhagirathi

11 Byunderganga HEP

24.3 SuperHydro

Chamoli Bhyunderganga

12 Melkhet

HEP

15 Melkhet

Power

Chamoli Pinder

13 RambaraHEP

76 LANCO Rudraprayag Mandakini

14 GaurikundHEP

24 LANCO Rudraprayag Mandakini

Middle Ganga Reach:The river in the middle reach enters and flows in plains, meandering mostly on a bed of fine

sand. The river has a wide bed and flood plain. Substantial portion of the river flow is diverted to

support agricultural activities through a system of Canals. The Uttar Pradesh IrrigationDepartment (UPID) is primarily responsible for managing these irrigation projects.

The first significant irrigation projects, with head works at Bhimgoda barrage located at

Haridwar was constructed more than a century ago. It has a canal system called Upper Ganga

Canal having a main canal of 10500 cusec capacity. Another project, known as Eastern Ganga

Canal, having canal of 5800 cusec capacity was commissioned in early seventies, mainly for

irrigation during Khariff season when there is a lot of water in the river and some irrigation in

other seasons, when water is available from releases from Tehri. The next significant irrigation

project is located near Bijnore. It has a canal system called Middle Ganga Canal having a

capacity of 10,260 cusec. The Narora barrage constructed mainly for the water supply to Atomic

Power Plant and from this barrage, Lower Ganga Canal system of capacity 9000 cusec was

constructed in early eighties. A parallel canal system of 4600 cusec was added later by the state

of UP. These three irrigation canal systems divert fresh water from the river for irrigation which

affects the flows downstream of Narora particularly up to Allahabad.

Substantial amount of flow, conveyed through a feeder canal originating from the barrage at

Kalagarh on the river Ramganga, is introduced into the river Ganga just downstream ofGarhmukteshwar to ensure sufficient quantities of water for Narora Atomic Power Plant. A

Schematic diagram showing the major canal systems is depicted in fig.



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The confluence of Ramganga at Kusumkher, Kali at Kannauj and Yamuna at Allahabad augment

the flow in the river. However, these rivers, particularly Ramganga and Kali also bring a lot ofdomestic/ industrial pollution load. In addition, several towns, industries and agricultural

activities contribute to the point and non-point pollution load in this reach. Significant being theleather tanneries at Kanpur. Thus, river flow and water quality are the key concerns in this reach.

Excessive use of ground water, by farmers, is depleting the ground water aquifers. At a number

of places water is pumped out from the river or riverside wells to grow sugarcane and other

cropsIn addition, general degradation of river system is visible due to encroachment of river bed,

indiscriminate gravel/ sand mining, riverbed farming, active netting of fish, open defecation, etc.

In many places, dumping of solid wastes including floral offerings and other materials used for

religious purposes, washing of clothes, wallowing of animals, throwing un-burnt/ partially burnt

dead bodies adversely affect aesthetics, water quality and aquatic life. Many important small,

large and mega religious congragations are a part of socio-cultural dimensions of the riverine

system at several places, the most important being at Haridwar, Allahabad and Varanasi. Rapid

urbanization along the river banks puts tremendous pressure on the scarce water resources.

Lower Ganga Reach:The river in the third reach is wide and considerable changes in the sediment transport and

deposition is observed which eventually leads to frequent change in the river course and widespread flooding.



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In this reach, the river Ganga receives water from three categories of rivers. In the first category

are perennial rivers that originate in Himalayas and carry snow fed flows with significant

discharge in the non-monsoon season. This includes Kosi, Gandak, Karnali (Ghaghra) andMahakali (Sharda) river systems. In the second category are the rivers like Mechi, Kankalm,

kamla, Bagmati, West Rapti and Babai rivers which are fed by precipitation as well as ground

water recharge and springs. Although these rivers are also perennial, they are commonlycharacterized by wide seasonal fluctuations in discharge. The third category of river systemsincludes a large number of small rivers in the terrain which originate from the southern Shivalik

range of hills. These rivers are seasonal with little flows during the dry season but characterized

by flash floods during the monsoon.

Many important small, large and mega religious congregations are a part of socio-cultural

dimensions of the riverine system at several places, the most important being at Ganga Sagar

where the river merges into the sea.

HYDROLOGY OF GANGA BASIN

Rainfall, subsurface flows and snow melt from glaciers are the main sources of water in river

Ganga. Surface water resources of Ganga have been assessed at 525 billion cubic meter (BCM).

Out of its 17 main tributaries Yamuna, Sone, Ghagra and Kosi contribute over half of the annualwater yield of the Ganga. These tributaries meet the Ganga at Allahabad and further downstream.

The river has a problem of low flows between the Haridwar - Allahabad stretch, as may be seen

from Figures shown. December to May are the months of lean flow in the Ganga. The lean flowduring these months, at some important towns along the river Ganga, is shown in Figure.



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On an average, each square km of the Ganga basin receives a million cubic meter (MCM) of

water as rainfall. 30% of this is lost as evaporation, 20%seeps to the subsurface and the

remaining 50% is available as surface runoff. The deep channel of the river bounded by high banks facilitates the passage of ground water as base flow. Annual flooding is the characteristic

of all rivers in the Ganga basin. The Ganga rises during the monsoon but the high banks restrict

the flood water from spreading. The flood plain is usually 0.5 to 2 km wide. This active flood

plain is flooded every year. There are many structures on the Ganga which divert its discharge.



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PollutionIn August 2009, the Union government re-launched the Ganga Action Plan with a reconstituted

National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA). Under the notification, dated February 20,

2009, the government gave the river the Current state, why it is so, and the way ahead. TheGanga Action Plan (GAP-I) had selected 25 towns located along the river in Uttar Pradesh, Biharand West Bengal. In 1993, the second phase (GAP-II) continued the programme, but included

work on four tributaries of the river — status of a National River. The objective was to ensure

abatement of pollution and conservation of the river. The key difference between the first GangaAction Programme and now, is the recognition that the entire basin of the river has to be the

basis for planning and implementation. It is not enough to plan for one city‘s pollution, without

considering the impact of the pollution on the downstream area. It is accepted that the plan for

pollution control must take into account the need for adequate water in the river — its ecologicalflow.

How polluted is the river?The challenge of pollution remains grim. According to July 2013 estimates of the Central

Pollution Control Board (CPCB), fecal coliform levels in the mainstream of the river — some

2,500 km from Gangotri to Diamond Harbor — remain above the acceptable level in all stretches,other than its upper reaches.



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But even in these reaches, there are worrying signs as fecal coliform levels are increasing in

places like Rudraprayag and Devprayag, suggesting that there is inadequate flow for dilution

even in these highly oxygenated stretches.The pollution levels are a cause of worry in the hotspots — the mega and fast growing cities —

along the river. According to the CPCB‘s monitoring data, biological oxygen demand (BOD)

levels are high downstream of Haridwar, Kannauj and Kanpur and peak at Varanasi. But what isworrying is that in all the stretches, pollution is getting worse. This is not surprising given that allalong this heavily populated stretch, freshwater intake from the river is increasing.

In this way, water is drawn for agriculture, industry and cities but what is returned is only waste.

Funds have been used up to create infrastructure, without much attention paid to the use andefficacy of this hardware. But with all this done, the cities are still losing the battle with the

amount of infrastructure that has yet to be built to convey the sewage and then of course, to treat

it and dispose of it.

Sewage generation is underestimated and hence the treatment capacity needed is much higher.The actual gap between generation and treatment is grossly underestimated. The problem lies in

the manner in which governments estimate pollution load and plan for sewage treatment. The

estimation of sewage generation is based on the quantum of water supplied. The assumption isthat 80 per cent of the water supplied is returned as wastewater. But as cities do not know how

much water is lost in distribution and how much groundwater is used within their boundaries, the

waste generation estimate could be wide off the mark

The actual measured discharge of wastewater into Ganga is 6,087 MLD — which is 123 per centhigher than the estimated discharge of wastewater. In other Words, the gap between treated and

untreated waste is not 55 per cent, but 80 per cent.

According to this, the estimation is that the BOD load is 1,000 tonne/day in the mainstream ofthe river.

Classification of Industrial Units with respect to

products

Industrial units are classified in following sectors.

• Chemicals: which mainly include fertilizer, petro-chemical, pesticides and pharmaceuticals.• Dairy, Food & Beverage

• Pulp and Paper

• Tannery

• Textile, Bleaching & Dyeing • Other (Cement, Slaughter house, Ordinance, Packaging & printing, Paint, Electronics&

Electrical,Thermal, Kattha – kachh, Electroplating, Metallurgical, automobile etc.



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Sector wise distribution of industries

There are 764 industries in the main stem of Ganga and referred tributaries Kali (E) and

Ramganga. Out of which 687 industrial units are in Uttar Pradesh followed by 42 in

Uttarakhand. Sector wise distribution of industrial units is given in figure. It is observed from the

figure that number wise tanneries are dominant industries followed by sugar, pulp & paper and

Textile, dyeing and bleach

Status of Water Consumption and WastewaterGeneration

Total water consumption in the industries is 1123 MLD and waste water generation is 501 MLD.

Uttar Pradesh is the dominating states with respect to water consumption (62 % of total waterconsumed) and wastewater generation (45% of total wastewater generated) followed by

Uttarakhand. This is summarized in table-8.1 and percentage wise consumption and generation is

depicted in figures.

STATE WISE STATUS OF INDUSTRIAL UNIT, WATER

CONSUMPTION AND WASTE WATER GENERATION

STATE NO. OF

INDUSTRY

WATER

CONSUMPTION(MLD)

WASTE WATER

GENERATION(MLD)

Uttarakhand 42 224 127



18

Bihar 13 91 17

Jharkhand 0 0 0

UP 687 693 269

West Bengal 22 116 87

TOTAL 764 1123 501

Close examination to the table and figure-it is observed• Wastewater generation is nearly 45% in terms of total water consumption. • In terms of water consumption industries in Uttar Pradesh consumes maximum water followed

by Uttarakhand and West Bengal. But wastewater generation with respect to water consumption

is enhanced in Uttarakhand and West Bengal.

Sector wise water consumption and wastewater

generation is given in table reveals from the stated table• Maximum water consumed and generated by Pulp and Paper industries. The consumption is

followed by sugar industries while generation is followed by chemical industries.Table-8.2: Status of sector specific industrial water consumption



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STATUS OF SECTOR SPECIFIC INDUSTRIAL

WATER CONSUMPTION AND WASTE WATER

GENERATION

TYPE OF INDUSTRY TOTA

L

UNIT

S

WATER

CONSUMPTION(M

LD)

WASTEWATER

GENERATION(ML

D)

CHEMICAL 27 210.9 97.8

DISTILLERY 33 78.8 37

FOOD,DAIRY,BEVERAGES

22 11.2 6.5

PULP AND PAPER 67 306.3 201.4

SUGAR 67 304 96

TEXTILE,BLEACHING

& DYEING

63 14.1 11.3

TANNERY 444 28 22

OTHER 41 168 28.6

TOTAL 764 1123 501

Percentage wise water consumption and wastewater generation in various categories of industrialsectors is given in figure -8.4&8.5 and it is observed from the figures that

• Sugar, pulp and paper and chemical are the three major sectors which consume approx 73%water and generate 79% of total wastewater.



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FIG. Status of state wise water consumption and wastewater generation from grossly Polluting industries



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UTTARAKHAND

Number of grossly polluting industries located in Uttarakhand is 42. Out of which, 7 industries areDischarging in the main stem of Ganga and located in the region of Dehradun and rest are located in thesub basin of Ranmganga in the region of Kashipur and Udham Singh Nagar. In Uttarakhand categorywise only three types of industries are located; these arepulp and paper, sugar and distillery. The status ofwater consumption and wastewater generation by these industries is stated in table.

It is observed from the table that 96% wastewater generated is discharged in Ramganga riverine system,

which ultimately leads to the main stem of River Ganga at Kannauj Upstream (Uttar Pradesh). Pulp and paper industry is the sector which generates 90% of total waste water; this is illustrated in the figure.



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UTTAR PRADESH

The category wise and water body wise wastewater generation in the state of Uttar Pradesh isdepicted in table. It is observed from the table that there are 687 industries of grossly polluting

status discharging

269 MLD wastewater. The Sugar, Pulp and Paper and Chemical are the major industrial sectorwhich discharged 70% of total wastewater generated in the state. Out of 688 industries 594 arelocated in the main stem of Ganga River. It is also observed that 442 industries are tannery.

Volume wise highest wastewater 85.7 MLD is coming from sugar industry.

This indicates that the tannery although have a higher number of industries but discharging lessvolume of wastewater.

With respect to River Kali-East sugar, distillery and pulp & paper are the major industrial sectors

which are discharging in to the river. In comparison to the number of the industries with respect

to Ganga is small (53) but discharging 71.4 MLD wastewater. Pulp & paper is discharging 36.8MLD wastewater, which is 52% of the total wastewater discharged into the river Kali-East by

grossly polluting industries. Next to Pulp & paper is Sugar industry (15) and discharging 14.8

MLD.It is pertinent to mention that Ramganga which houses 44 industries but discharging 106 MLD

wastewater and major of them are sugar industries which are discharging 50% of total

wastewater discharged into the river Ramganga in UP.

The percentage wise wastewater generation in these three riverine systems and sector specificwastewater generation in Uttar Pradesh is given in figure-8.7 &8.8 respectively. The status of

sector specific water consumption and wastewater generation in Uttar Pradesh and in the three

riverine systems in Uttar Pradesh is given in table respectively.



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BIHAR

In the state of Bihar, discharge from grossly polluting industries is not so prominent in

comparison to other states with respect to river Ganga. The total discharge from industries is

17.3 MLD, out of which 7 MLD is from Barauni refinery. The information regarding wastewater

from various type of industries is summarized in Table.



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West Bengal

In the stretch of West Bengal the river Hooghly (Ganga is named as Hoogly here) receives 87

MLD wastewater from 22 grossly polluting industries. It is pertinent to note that variouscategories of industries are housed on the banks of Hooghly, this is summarized in table-8.9. It is

observed that chemical industry discharges 70% of total wastewater generated, followed by Pulp

& paper which 20% is. This is a deviation from the trend in Upper and middle Ganga.



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Comparison of industrial wastewater discharges amongthree riverine system: Kali- East, Ramganga & main stem of

Ganga

A comparison of wastewater discharged in river Ganga, Kali-East and Ramganga in Uttarakhand

and Uttar Pradesh (up to Kannauj Downstream) all together is shown in table-8.10 and



27

percentage discharged by grossly polluting industries in these rivers at Uttarakhand and Uttar

Pradesh is depicted in figure.

• It is observed from the figure-10 that wastewater discharged by grossly polluting industries

from

Uttarakhand to Uttar Pradesh upto Kannauj downstream all together in river Ramganga is 69%followed

by Kali-East (22%) and River Ganga (9%).



28

• However if we take the whole stretch of River Ganga the percentage of total wastewater

discharged to river Ramganga is 46% followed by Ganaga (40%) and Kali-East (14%). This is

depicted in figure.

CONCLUSION

There are 764 grossly polluting industries discharging wastewater to main stem of River

Ganga (either directly or through drains) and its two important tributaries Kali-east andRamganga in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and west Bengal. Out of 764 industries,

687 are located in Uttar Pradesh. The water consumed by grossly polluting industries is 1123 MLD.

Total wastewater generated by grossly polluting industries is 501 MLD. This is 45%

(approx.) of total water consumed.

In terms of number of industrial units, tannery sector is dominating where as in terms of

wastewater generation Pulp & paper sectors dominate followed by chemical and sugar

sector.

It is observed that GPI in Bihar generate minimum wastewater (19%) in terms of waterconsumed whereas GPI in West Bengal generate maximum wastewater 75.5% in terms of

water consumed this followed by Uttarakhand (56.7%) and Uttar Pradesh (39%%).

In the riverine system Ramganga carries maximum industrial wastewater followed by

main stream of river Ganga and Kali-East respectively.



29

Case Studies using Papers & Journals:

VARANASI

The Ganga flows through Varanasi touching its western bank. This is the city Hindus come to, toworship and to cremate the dead. This is the city of Gods. But the river millions worship is still

polluted. But not because there has been no attempt to clean it up.

The city‘s tryst with pollution control started way back in 1954, when the state governmentstarted a sewage utilization scheme, building sewage pumping stations on different Ghats to

intercept the sewage for diversion to a sewage farm located at the far end of the city in Dinapur.

Pumping stations were built at the Harishchandra Ghat, Ghora Ghat (renamed Dr Rajendra

Prasad Ghat), Jalasen Ghat and Trichlochan Ghat. This infrastructure was completed by the1970s and handed over to the Jal Sansthan (the city‘s water agency) for operation.

But little was done beyond this. The works became defunct very soon. In 1986, with the launch

of the Ganga Action Plan these projects were revised. More money was sanctioned and spent torefurbish the pumping stations and build and repair drains. In addition, three sewage treatment plants with a combined capacity of 101.8 MLD were built: 9.8 MLD at Bhagwanpur; 80 MLD at

Dinapur; and 12 MLD at the Diesel Locomotive Works.

Then hectic parleys began to spend more money on building new sewage hardware. In March2001, the National River Conservation Directorate sanctioned another Rs416 crore for more

trunk sewers and interception drains. Tendering started in earnest. But in September 2001 the

Supreme Court, listening to a public interest matter on river pollution, halted the process and

asked for a review of the plan. In 2002, however, the apex court vacated its earlier order. The plan was ready and cleared for implementation. Everyone forgot the city was already out of

money to run the existing plants.

This is when as early as 1997 a city-based group, the Sankat Mochan Foundation, had suggestedan affordable variation on the expensive pollution scheme. The city could build watertight

interceptors along the ghats that worked on the principle of gravity, so cutting electricity

(pumping) costs. Some 5 km downstream of the city, in Sota, the sewage could be treated in

advanced integrated oxidation ponds with the help of bacteria and algae. The capital cost of thisalternative was projected at Rs 150 crore.

But Varanasi‘s public water works department has rejected this proposal saying that it is not

feasible for it would disrupt pilgrims and damage the historical Ghats during excavation.With the re-launch of the Ganga action programme, the city has sensed a new opportunity. The

National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) and the Japan International Cooperation

Agency have agreed to fund another Rs524 crore worth of projects for beautification of the Assi

ghats and sewage infrastructure. By June 2013, for which the last progress reports are availableon the NGRBA site, some 12 per cent work had been completed. It is difficult to say if this plan

will be any different from the rest as it does more of the same sewage treatment plants;

infrastructure; drains and pumps and pipes. All that has not worked till date in this cash andenergy-starved city. Clearly, when there is money to send down the river, cleaning it is not the

issue at all.



30

Current statusThe city has a heap of problems:

First, it‘s current and upgraded sewage networkis grossly inadequate. According to theCity Sanitation Plan, commissioned by the Union ministry of urban development, the 400km sewerage network mainly exists in the old city and the ghats area. However, even this

is over 100 years old and extremely dilapidated. According to the UP government, over

80 per cent of the city remains un-sewered.

Second, one third of the city lives in slums, with little access to any sanitation and

sewerage facilities. The City Sanitation Plan notes that 15 per cent of the city does not

have access to toilets and resorts to open defecation.



31



33

Excerpt from paper

International Journal of Earth Sciences and Engineering

ISSN 0974-5904, Vol. 04, No. 04, August 2011, pp. 698-711

Assessment of Water Quality of River Ganga along

Ghats in Varanasi City, U. P., IndiaAssessment of water quality was done in holy River Ganga district of Varanasi, (U.P.) India in 2009.Water samples were collected from five different sites namely (S1)-Samne Ghat, (S2)-Assi Ghat, (S3)-Harishchandra Ghat, (S4) Dasaswamedh Ghat, (S5)- Dr.Rajendra Prashad Ghat.

S1- Samne GhatS2- Assi GhatS3- Harishchandra GhatS4- Dashashwamegh GhatS5- Dr. Rajendra Prashad Ghat

Results and Discussion:pH values:As depicted in the table 5 and figure 1, the pH values were found to be significant due to

Ghats/Ganges and different days of intervals. Alkaline range of pH in most of the water sample

may be due to the general alkaline nature of the effluents being released into samplingsites/locations. This pH values having higher concentration as compared to BIS standards

recommended. The different Ghats/Ganges was slightly above neutral making it‘s not safe fordrinking and other purposes.



34



35



36

HARIDWAR:

INTRODUCTIONPollution of a river first affects its chemical quality and then systematically destroys the

community disrupting the delicate food web. Diverse uses of the rivers are seriously impaireddue to pollution and even the polluters like industry suffer due to increased pollution of therivers. River pollution has several dimensions and effective monitoring and control of river

pollution requires the expertise from various disciplines1

.Pollution of river is a global problem.In India it is reported that about 70% of the available water is polluted. The chief source of

pollution is identified as sewage constituting 84 to 92 percent of the waste water. Industrial wastewater comprised 8 to 16 percent.

Study Area

EXPERIMENTALA total of 90 water samples were collected from five different spots during different seasons over

a period of two years (November 2006 to October 2008). The samples were taken in BOD



37

bottles and plastic jerry canes and brought to the laboratory with necessary precautions. All

samples were labeled properly. Some parameters like temperature, velocity, pH and dissolved

oxygen were measured on site. Grab sampling was generally applied during the sampling. Watersamples were analysed by standard methods .The samples were analyzed for following

physicochemical parameters:

Water Temperature (ºC), velocity(m/s), pH, hardness (mg/l), turbidity (JTU), totaldissolved solids (mg/l), total suspended solids (mg/l), electrical conductivity (μmho/cm),

free CO2(mg/l), dissolved oxygen (mg/l), B.O.D. (mg/l), C.O.D. (mg/l), alkalinity (mg/l),

chloride (mg/l), calcium (mg/l), magnesium (mg/l), sodium (mg/l), potassium

(mg/l),carbonate (mg/l), bicarbonate (mg/l) and sulphate (mg/l).

Eleven parameters were taken for calculation

of water quality index: Ca, Mg, Na, K, NO3

-

, SO4

2-

, Cl-

, hardness, TDSD, B.O.D. and total alkalinity.

It is an established fact that the more harmful a given pollutant is, the smaller is its standard

permissible value recommended for drinking water. Therefore, the ―Weights‖ for various waterquality characteristics are assumed to be inversely proportional to the recommended standards

for the corresponding parameters (Tiwari and Ali). That is,W

i= K\S

i

Where Wiis the unit weight and Si is the recommended standard for the ith parameter P

i. The

constant of proportionality K in equation can be determined from the condition

ΣWi=KΣ(1\ S

i)

The quality rating qifor the ith parameter P

iis calculated from the following equation:

qi=100(V

i/ S

i)

Where Viis the observed value. The subindex S

ifor the the parameter P

iis given by

(Si)=(q

iw

i)

The overall WQI can be calculated by aggregating the quality rating (q i) or subindices, linearly,

and taking their weighted mean, i.e.

WQI=[(Σqiw

i/Σw

i)]

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The results indicate that the quality of water varies considerably from location to location. A

summary of the findings is given below:

The water temperature of the Ganga at Hardwar ranged between 10.18 ºC to 19.73 ºC.

The maximum water temperature started decreasing due to the melting of snow at the peaks of the Himalaya. The water temperature showed an upward trend from winter

season to summer season followed by a downward trend from rainy season onwards.

The velocity was found to be directly proportional to the flood level and also with

gradient of the river stretch. The water level and its velocity started increasing fromwinter season onwards due to melting of snow at the place of origin of the river. The

maximum velocity 2.18 m/s of the Ganga at Haridwar was recorded in monsoon season

and the minimum velocity 0.39m/s was observed in winter season.



39

Assessment of bacterial indicators and physicochemical parameters to

investigate pollution status of Gangetic river system of Uttarakhand (India)

Materials and methodsThe Gangetic river system of Uttarakhand was intensively surveyed to select different sites for samplecollection. The study area was divided into three different stretches, i.e. upper, middle and lower stretch.While Bhagirathi and Alaknanda both comprised upper and middle stretches, one in each tributary, the

lower stretch was predominantly of Ganga, i.e. downstream to Devprayag (Sangam) till Haridwar Thetotal stretch covered in this study was 440 km, out of which Alaknanda comprised a stretch of 200 km,Bhagirathi comprised a stretch of 170 km and lower Ganga comprised a stretch of 70 km. The samples

were carefully collected in triplicate from 32 different sites in sterile containers, and were transported onice to the laboratory. Samples were collected in three seasons, i.e. summer, rainy and winter from all

selected sites.The bacterial population in different samples was estimated by inoculating nutrient agar (HiMedia) plateswith 0.1 ml of suitable dilutions. The pH of medium and incubation temperatures was adjusted according

to the pH and temperature of respective sites, unless mentioned otherwise. The results were expressed ascolony forming units (cfu) per unit volume, enumerated after 48 h of incubation. However, the plates

were incubated in refrigerator where the native temperature of sample was below 0 8C. Isolates havingdifferent cell morphology and colony characteristics were selected and stored on nutrient agar slants at48C or 28C as and when required. All trials were performed in triplicate.

DiscussionIn present study, all sites were found to have high TVC. In fact, the water of Ganga is used for drinking(Aachman) as part of rituals in this region. Although the higher TVC values suggest that this practice

should be avoided. The TVC values were relatively higher in holy places like Haridwar and Rishikeshwhich may be attributed to the presence of large population residing at the banks. These sites witness holydip and mass bathing by a large number of pilgrims as an old age ritual in India, which is a constant

source of contamination of water bodies (Semwal and Akolkar, 2006).The total coliform count was relatively higher in rainy season than summer and winter, which suggest

role of precipitation on the sources and extent of microbial pollution. As a matter of fact, the banks ofAlaknanda are more densely populated and face heavy anthropological activity as compared toBhagirathi. Earlier, Fokmare and Musaddiq (2001) have correlated high content of MPN in surface and

ground water Of Akola, Maharashtra with the population density. Also the fact that the number of sub-tributaries falling in Alaknanda is more than Bhagirathi may be responsible for the higher coliform count.

Kulshrestha and Sharma (2006) reported increase in coliform count of Ganga at Haridwar duringArdhkumbh and suggested that the water becomes unfit for drinking as well as bathing purpose becauseofmass bathing. Significant change in water quality of Ganga at Haudeshwarnath (Pratapgarh) has beenreported by Sinha et al. (1991). There was no definite pattern of FC count in different stretch of studyarea, which is not in accordance to the findings of Baghel et al. (2005) who observed that the TC and FC

counts are higher in summer followed by rainy and winter. The absence of FC and FS in most of the sitesof study area during winter may be attributed to the fact that the pilgrimage to these sites is suspended

because of harsh climatic conditions.



40

Kistemann et al. (2002) observed that in the case of rainfall, the microbial loads of running watersuddenly increase and reach reservoir bodies very quickly. FC/FS ratio was obtained highest in the rainy

season and was negligible in winter season, which may be because the relative frequency of FC fromhuman sources increases in rainfall. These findings are in accordance to those observed by Baghel et al.(2005) who have reported high bacterial counts in these regions. However, they selected only 16 sites in

present study area, in contrast to 32 selected in this study. Baghel et al. (2005) concluded that large

number of animals used by pilgrims in upper stretch ofGangetic river system increase FS load. In rainy season, due to runoff of water having animal excretafrom upper stretch to lower stretch leads to the high counts of FS in the lower stretch. Kistemann et al.(2002) observed that in the case of rainfall, the microbial loads of running water suddenly increase andreach reservoir bodies very quickly. These observations explain the reason of increase of bacterialcontamination from upper stretch to lower stretch.



42

Showing the selected sampling sites for river Ganga at Rishikesh, Uttarakhand

The water samples from river Ganga were collected at interval of 30 days as per the standard method of

APHA (2005). In this study, for the calculation of water quality index, eight important parameters werechosen. The WQI has been calculated by using the standard of drinking water quality recommended by

the World Health Organization (WHO). The water samples were collected on monthly basis from Jan2007 to Dec 2008.Eight water parameter were considered for calculation of water quality index

(Harkins, 1974; Tiwari et al., 1986; Tiwari and Manzor, 1988; Mohanta and Patra, 2000, Kesharwani etal., 2004; Padmanabha and Belagalli, 2005)

Water Quality Index (WQI) = Σqiwi Where qi (water quality rating) = 100 X (Va-Vi) / (Vs-Vi),When Va = actual value present in the water sample Vi = ideal value (0 for all parameters except pH andDO which are 7.0 and 14.6 mg l-1 respectively).Vs = standard value.

If quality rating qi =0 means complete absence of pollutants,While 0 < qi < 100 implies that, the pollutants are within the prescribed standard.Where K (constant) =1/Vs1 + 1/Vs2 + 1/Vs3 + 1/Vs4…….. + 1/Vsn

Sn = ‗n‘ number of standard values.

According to Sinha et al. (2004), if, water quality index (WQI) is less than 50 such water is slightly polluted and fit for human consumption, WQI between 51 - 80 – moderately polluted, WQI between 50 -100-excessively polluted and WQI-Severely polluted.

Result and Discussion: The turbidity in the river Ganga was lowest during winter season. From summer onwards the

water became turbid due to rapid melting of snow and rains. The maximum turbidity 510.07 JTUwas observed in monsoon season (July 2007) at site 1 and minimum 0.00 JTU was observed in



43

winter season (January 2008) at site 1. The turbidity value obtained at all selected there sites wasfound to be above standard permissible limits of WHO. This could be attributed due to presence

of organic matter pollution, runoff and heavy rainfall (UNESCO/WHO/UNEP, 2001).

The Ganga water contained highest dissolved oxygen during winter season, followed by a gradual

decrease to its lowest values during monsoon season. The higher concentrations of DO wasrecorded during winter season mainly due to low turbidity and increased photosynthetic activity

of the green algae found on the submerged stones and pebbles (Joshi et al., 2009). The maximum12.10 mg/L oxygen content of water was recorded in winter season (Jan 2007) at site 3 and

minimum 7.14 mg/L at site 2 during monsoon season (July 2008).

The BOD ranged from 1.43 mg/L (Nov 2008) at site 3 to 3.79 mg/L (June 2007) at site 3. The

COD ranged from 2.71 mg/L (Nov 2007) at site 1 to 9.72 mg/L (July 2008) at site 2.

Free carbon dioxide in the Ganga water was invariably present throughout the year. The freecarbon dioxide was found to be maximum in monsoon season and minimum during winterseason.

Water quality index (WQI) is the most effective way to communicate water quality. Water qualityindex (WQI) = 0 means complete absence of pollutants. When 0< 100, indicates the water is

under consideration and fit for human use and WQI > 100 reflects its unsuitability for human use(Bahera et al., 2004). At site 1, the minimum and maximum value of WQI observed 13.87 (Jan

2008) and 1714.76 (July 2007), While at site 2 minimum and maximum value of WQI observedas 14.59 (Feb. 2008) and 1386.00 (Sept. 2008). However in the case of site 3, minimum andmaximum value was observed as 27.29 (Jan 2008) and 1077.90 (Aug. 2008).

WEST BENGAL

STUDY AREAHere study area is limited to the river Ganga in the geographical area of the State of West Bengal as

shown. Study has covered a total stretch between generally the discharge of untreated and partially treated

Jangipur to Uluberia (around 387.5 km). Data Collections and Analytical Methods: In this study, the largeand medium scale industries based along the river path in the study area were listed. The small scaleindustries are listed in cluster. Pollution load was assessed based on the Primary data, as in drainsdischarging wastewater in river Ganga were identified by physical survey along east and west bank of

river Ganga between Jangipur and Uluberia (387.5 km.) and Secondary data, as in qualitative assessmentof river Ganga from the data taken from Government organizations like West Bengal Pollution ControlBoard, Central Pollution Control Board.



44

Study Area : River course In West Bengal

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONWastewaters getting discharged in river Ganga through outfall drains were analyzed

for both right bank. The total discharge is shown in Table 1. The overall waste water

flow into the river through different outlets on both the left and right banks were As far as possible, during the survey the wastewater flow categorized as shown in Table 2.The

contribution of BOD and COD from exclusively its domestic wastewater along both left and

right bank of river Ganga has been found as 17,583.33 kg/day and 43,208.21 kg/day

respectively. The total BOD and COD load has been load getting discharged through

outfalls drains along left and right bank of river Ganga has been assessed as 97 MT/day and

318 MT/day as samples were collected in two sets from different stations highlighted in

Table 3 and 4.The category A has contributed around 64.87% from both left and right

bank river Ganga whereas about 17.56% has fallen under the category B classified based

on flow. The domestic waste water has been found around 77% based on population

contributing to pollution. Thus per capita BOD contribution is 6.23 gm per capita per day

which is less than 3 gm/capita/day. It may also be noted that per capita average wastewater is

discharged usually 100 L conductivity, whereas 30 mg/L of BOD can be discharged into the

river Ganga so far the CPCB standard i.e. 3 gm/capita/day (30 mg/L x 100 L).

The maximum and minimum Total Coliform (TC) and Fecal Coliform of river Ganga along

both left and right bank canals have been highlighted in table 5 and categorized A, B, C, D.



45

: Extent of Organic Pollution (Outfall category wise): BOD

River

Bank

Outfall category

A (kg/day)

Outfall category

B (kg/day)

Outfall category

C (kg/day)

Outfall category

D (kg/day)

Outfall category

E (kg/day)

Total

(A+B+C+D+

LEFT 53733.41 14466.15 2043.55 1900

.86

2221.25 74365.22

RIGHT 9112.95 2544.38 7745

.95

3099

.72

10.48 22513.48

TOTA

62846.36 17010.53 9789

5000

2231.73 96878.70

% 64.87 17.56 10.10 5.16 2.30 100

: Extent of Chemical Pollution (Outfall category wise): COD

River

Bank

Outfall

category A(kg/day)

Outfall

category B(kg/day)

Outfall

category C(kg/day)

Outfall

category D(kg/day)

Outfall

category E(kg/day)

Total

(A+B+C+D+E)

LEFT 196354.24 41322.40 5876.836 3926.16 3315.25 250794.886

RIGHT

42432.68 8244.10 8698.62

5359.32

2588.00 67322.72

TOTA

L

238786.92 49566.50 14575.46 9285

.48

5903.25 318117.

61

% 75 15 4.5 2.92 1.9 100

KANPUR (UTTAR PRADESH)Where nothing has worked

Kanpur has had a long and rather unsuccessful history of cleaning the river that flows in its

midst. It all started in 1985 when under the Ganga Action Plan (GAP-I), it cleaned its drains,



46

expanded its drainage system, built a 130-MLD STP and another 36-MLD plant for treating

wastewater from tanneries. It took 18 years to complete the works under GAP I; meanwhile,

GAP II was started in 1993. This time the focus was on treatment of the remaining 224 MLD, for

which a 200-MLD treatment plant was planned. According to the report of the IIT-Consortiums

for the National Ganga River Basin Authority, the schemes under GAP II are still incomplete,

some 15 years after the plan lapsed. In addition, the city has also got funds from the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) for drainage and sewage works. If all these

funds are put together, the city got the following:

● GAP I: Rs 73 crore

● GAP II: Rs 87 crore

● JNNURM: Rs 370 crore

But the end result is not very encouraging. Pollution is the name of the game in Kanpur. The

problems are as follows:

1. The sewerage network does not exist in large parts of the city and so waste is not conveyed to

the treatment plants.

2. Under the Ganga Action Plan, the objective was to intercept waste from the open drains and to

divert it to STPs. But this did not happen as well because all of the 23 drains of Kanpur were not

tapped and so waste still flows into the Ganga.

3. In this period, the city expanded and new growth happened without drainage and pollution

control. So, even as some drains were intercepted, waste continued to increase and treatment

lagged behind.

4. In 1985, Kanpur generated 200 MLD of waste and had an installed capacity of 171 MLD. By2013, its 10 drains discharged 600 MLD of waste into Ganga. Its treatment capacity remains the

same as in 1985. It has set up two USB technology based plants in Jajmau of 5 MLD and 36

MLD. In addition it has another 130 MLD plant, which is based on ASP technology.

5. The municipality cannot afford to even run the plants, let alone repair and refurbish the old

sewage system of the city. There is extensive load-shedding, with hours of power cut the waste is

simply bypassed and discharged directly into the river.

As a result, the city with 217 MLD of installed capacity still treats only 100 MLD as the plant

does not work or the sewage does not reach the plant. The official estimate of sewage generation

is roughly 400 MLD, while the actual measured outfall is 600 MLD. In other words, anywhere between 300-500 MLD of sewage is discharged into the river.

Its biggest and most polluting drain — Sisamau has now caught the attention of planners and

there are many proposals to handle its waste from trapping the waste upstream to changing its

course so that it discharges into the Pandu River and not the Ganga. Then the waste will be

treated and wastewater provided to farmers. But for now, all this is on paper. The river continues

to suffer and bleed.



47

POLLUTION REMEDIATION For the protection of the Ganga many schemes have been setup which aim at the remediation of

the pollution and harm that has been done

2 major Schemes are discussed in detail below namely:

National Mission for Clean Ganga

GAP (GANGA ACTION PLAN)

GAP I

GAP II

National Mission for Clean Ganga

IntroductionThe proposal is aimed to assess nature and extent of pollution control needed at various locations

in the water bodies; to evaluate effectiveness of pollution control measures already in place; to plan rational pollution control strategies and their prioritization; to evaluate water quality trendover a period of time; to assess and use assimilative capacity of a water body and thereby

reducing cost on pollution control; to understand the environmental fate of different pollutants;

to assess the fitness of water for different uses and to achieve an overall improvement of thewater quality of River Ganga and its tributaries and the proposal would enable a solution for

achieving the very purpose of NGRBA.

The expected output and the outcome of the proposal shall be as follows:



48

Real time (Automatic) monitoring stations at 113 locations

Quality Assurance service for the Real time water quality monitoring system

Bio monitoring at all the real time monitoring locationsCommunity supported Monitoring at remote locations

Background of Executing AgencyThe Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), a statutory organization, was constituted in

September, 1974 under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. Further,

CPCB was entrusted with the powers and functions under the Air (Prevention and Control ofPollution) Act, 1981.

It serves as a field formation and also provides technical services to the Ministry of Environment

and Forests of the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

ObjectivesWater quality implies physical, chemical characteristic that ensure, support and sustain the

biological system in order to attain the wholesomeness of the water body under study. Waterquality monitoring therefore consists of periodic and systematic observations to enable itsassessment covering physical, chemical and biological parameters.

Water Quality Monitoring Network (WQMN) is therefore, a programme consisting of three key

components:Where to observe (Sampling stations)

How frequent to observe (Frequency of samplings)

What to observe (Parameters)

The WQMN therefore designed to fulfill the objective. The Central Pollution Control Board

(CPCB) performs the water quality monitoring with the objectives mentioned below.

To assess nature and extent of pollution control needed at various locations in the water bodies;

To evaluate effectiveness of pollution control measures already in place;

To plan rational pollution control strategies and their prioritization;

To evaluate water quality trend over a period of time;To assess and use assimilative capacity of a water body and thereby reducing cost on pollution

control;

To understand the environmental fate of different pollutants;To assess the fitness of water for different uses

Scope of WorkIn the Ganges system, there are a number of types of water quality monitoring that would need to be addressed over time. These include:

• Ambient Water Quality (automatic and manual methods; quality assurance)

– Upstream and downstream of major urban areas and investments

– Along Main stem and in Major tributaries – At Sensitive locations

• Major Wastewater inflows (major Nallah mapping and monitoring for polluted stretches)



49

• Industrial ef fluents (strengthening Env. Regulators)

• Solid Waste (studies of polluted stretches)

• Non-point sources (studies e.g. agro-chemicals)• Bio-monitoring & Ecological monitoring (special studies)

• Sediment/Benthic monitoring (special studies)

• Groundwater quality monitoring (data integration)

Locations of WQM stationsSelection of sites of real time monitoring locations is dependent on variation of observations and

agglomeration of industries and urban city waste water discharge. Therefore, the stations are proposed at key locations, for example, upstream and downstream of cities, at water supply

intake points, at bathing ghats, downstream of wastewater treatment plants on the main stem of

River Ganga across the 5 basin states to provide a state-of-the-art for a real-time picture of the

water quality of the river. The Bio-monitoring will also be conducted at the same locations.

However, locations for community monitoring across the basin will be finalised in consultation

with the community particularly for inaccessible stretches of the river.

Works ProposedFor Real time monitoring network:Considering the complexity of establishing real-time monitoring stations and the lack of

experience in India, the data service contract is proposed to be implemented in two packages

(split based on geographical spread) and the stations will be established by the service providerin two phases. This provides the CPCB, the flexibility of changing the monitoring stations and

parameters based on the experience of first phase implementation. Real time data will be collected with the interval of fifteen minutes, hourly or daily basis

depending on the parameters from the various stations over the Ganga basin.

The real time data collected will be transferred to the Central Repository / Data Server /RDBMS though the GSM/GPRS telemetry link.



50

The Data Server will be supported with the mechanism to feed raw data and processed data.

The dataset will be able to monitor manually also through a properly designed calibrated

system. The filtered and calibrated data will be analyzed and process in the desired form to feed in

the NGRBA Ganga Knowledge Center Portal and also other Websites/ Portals/ Mobile

Applications.

Real time monitoring parameters:Real time data will be collected with the interval of fifteen minutes, hourly or daily basis

depending on the parameters from the various stations over the Ganga basin. Sensors are

available to monitored 21 parameters through real time system from which the following 18 parameters have been selected for the proposed real time network.

Implementation Schedule:Considering the complexity of establishing real-time monitoring stations and the lack of

experience in India, the data service contract is proposed to be implemented in two packages

(split based on geographical spread) and the stations will be established by the service provider

in two phases.



51



52

Procurement plan:Procurement of Goods, Works, consulting and non-consulting services for the project shall be

aligned with the implementation schedule. Accordingly, NGRBA Cell of CPCB need to prepare

a procurement plan for every financial year in accordance to the respective procurement

guidelines / manual laid down in the NGRBA programme frame work.

Risk analysis and mechanismCPCB introduced automatic water quality monitoring stations in the year 1989-90 for analyzing

water quality of River Ganga. Only two stations were developed and it was analyser based for 5 parameters i.e DO, temperature, Conductivity, Nitrate and Phosphate. However, due to

unavailability of components and O & M problem it could not be run for long time. Later on



53

during the year 1991-96 CPCB had installed 5 real time water quality stations which run on solar

power system in floating boats. The parameters were Turbidity, Conductivity, pH, DO and

temperature. The results for DO reported not reliable and far from the actual value noticed frommanual monitoring. Operation & Maintenance problem was the major drawbacks for both

phases. Considering the above experience CPCB is now in advance stage of implementing 10

real time monitoring stations under hydrology project covering 10 parameters.. O & M issue has been incorporated in the procedure of procurement itself incorporating all the safeguards.To avoid further complication for instrumentation or implementation problems CPCB has

proposed data purchase concept. In this mechanism data will provided by farm and only

validated and third party audited data will be accepted and allowed for payment based on agreedterms of reference of both the party.

Conclusions Real time data networks for water management are becoming standard practice around

the world. Traditional sampling and analysis techniques result in delays of days to weeksfor analytical results to be available, and results in a real loss of high frequency

information content that can greatly enhance understanding the water quality behavior of

the river. Fluctuations can only be detected through high frequency real time‗continuous‘ measurements, with a sampling frequency of typically 15 minutes, that

have the capability to capture most natural variability and measure sporadic

concentration peaks. It is therefore, necessary to support the automatic WQ monitoring by manual WQMN. The manual WQMN will also help as a quality assurance of the

performance of the automatic monitoring stations and vice-versa.

The benefits of real time systems have been realized over time to include an overall

reduction in monitoring system costs, provision of better spatial coverage and long-termtrends in fluctuations of pollutant concentrations, and a vastly improved understanding

of the natural river processes and conditions. Improved data quality and quantity results

in an improved ability to conduct more accurate mathematical modeling of water qualitytrends at local, watershed and regional scales. In addition, the greatly enhanced rapid

detection of hydrologic variability is critical for early warning and rapid response to

harmful events.

The real-time, automated, collection of water quality data will greatly assist theadvancement of obtaining a secure, safe and sustainable quality of water to those who

rely on it. The automated collection of water quality data collection is just a first step in

developing an efficient repository of information that can be used by stakeholders, suchas regulatory agencies, industry, education, research, communities, as well as the public

in general.



54

GANGA ACTION PLAN

To prevent the pollution of river Ganga and to improve its water quality, an Action Plan known

as Ganga Action Plan was formulated in the year 1984 on the basis of a comprehensive survey of

the Ganga Basin carried out by the Central Pollution Control Board under "Assessment andDevelopment Study of River Basin Series (ADSORB).

OBJECTIVES OF GAP:The objective, at the time of launching the Ganga Action Plan in 1985, was to improve the water

quality of Ganga to acceptable standards by preventing the pollution load from reaching theriver. Later, in 1987, on the recommendations of the Monitoring Committee of GAP, the

objective of the Plan was modified to restoring the river water quality to the Designated Best Use

class of Ganga, which is ―Bathing Class‖ (Class B). The standards of water quality for Class B

are given in the following box.

APPROACH OF GANGA ACTION PLAN (GAP)

Studies undertaken before the formulation of the Ganga Action Plan indicated that a large

proportion of pollution load in the river came from the municipal wastewater generated in 25Class I towns located on the banks of the Ganga, each with a population exceeding one lakh.

Therefore, the emphasis under the Plan was on interception and diversion of wastewater and its

treatment in Sewage Treatment Plants, before discharge into river or on land. In addition, workswere also undertaken to prevent pollution of the river from non-point sources, improving

aesthetics, and promoting public participation. The various types of schemes taken up under

GAP are categorized into core and non-core schemes.



55

Core Schemes: Interception and diversion (I&D) of sewage, reaching the Ganga River.

Installing treatment facilities to treat the intercepted sewage.

Non-Core Schemes:

Providing facilities of Low Cost Sanitation (LCS) at community and individual levels atidentified locations.

Installation of Crematoria (electric as well as wood based improved crematoria).

River Front Development (RFD) including bathing Ghats.

Afforestation

Public awareness and participation.

INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTSAn apex body, namely the Central Ganga Authority, (CGA) was set up under the Chairmanship

of the Prime Minister to finalize the policy framework and to coordinate and oversee the

implementation of the Action Plan.A Steering Committee was constituted with Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests as

Chairman to consider approval of schemes, allocation of funds and to review progress. A

Monitoring Committee was also constituted to monitor progress of implementation of schemes.The Ganga Project Directorate (GPD), with the necessary financial and administrative powers,

was set up as a part of the Ministry of Environment and Forests to implement the Action Plan.

GAP II was merged with the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) in 1996. The NRCP presently covers polluted stretches of 36 rivers spread over 165 towns in 20 States.

GANGA ACTION PLAN PHASEI (GAPI)Under GAP I, pollution abatement schemes were taken up in 25 Class-I towns in three States of

U.P., Bihar and West Bengal. GAP I was declared complete on 31.03.2000 with an expenditureof Rs. 452 crore. The details are given below:

States Covered 3 (UP, Bihar and West Bengal)

Towns Covered 25 (UP-6, Bihar-4 and West Bengal-15)

Schemes Sanctioned 261

Schemes Completed 260

Interception and Diversion 88

Sewage Treatment Plants 34

Low Cost Sanitation 43

Crematoria 28

River Front Development 35

Others(afforestation) 32

Sewage Treatment Capacity to be Created 882 MLD(35 STPs)

Sewage Treatment Capacity Created 869 MLD(34 STPs)

Total Expenditure Incurred Rs. 452 Crores



56

GANGA ACTION PLAN PHASEII (GAPII)As GAP I addressed only a part of the pollution load of Ganga, GAP II was launched in stages

between 1993 and 1996. 59 towns along the main stem of river Ganga in five States of

Uttarakhand, U.P., Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal are covered under the Plan. The salientfeatures of the Plan are as under:

States Covered 5 (Uttarakhand, UP, Bihar, Jharkhand and

West Bengal)

Towns Covered 59 (Uttarakhand-10, UP-12, Bihar-13,

Jharkhand-1 and West Bengal-23)

Schemes Sanctioned 319

Schemes Completed 200

Sewage Treatment Capacity to be Created 277.28 MLD( 37 STPs )

Sewage Treatment Capacity Created 129.77 MLD( 18 STPs)

INDUSTRIALPOLLUTIONThough industrial pollution constitutes around 20% of the total pollution load by volume, itscontribution to polluting the river Ganga is much greater, due to the higher concentration of

pollutants. This problem was sought to be addressed by focusing on Grossly Polluting Industries.

Any industrial unit, discharging into the river effluent having BOD load of 100 kg/day or moreand/or is involved in the manufacture and use of hazardous substances, is classified as grossly

polluting. Such units were identified and asked to install Effluent Treatment Plants.

Presently, 154 grossly polluting industrial units are identified on the main stem of River Ganga.

Of these, 94 units have Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs) operating satisfactorily, 22 have ETPs but they do not operate satisfactorily and 38 Units have closed down. The total number of

grossly polluting units along river Ganga and its tributaries is 478. Of these, 335 units have ETPsoperating satisfactorily, while in 64 units ETPs do not operate satisfactorily and 79 units have been closed down.

PRE-GAP v/s POST-GAP STATUS:

PRE-GAP DO POST-GAP DO

The average

values ranged between 6.8-7.2 mg/l. The

values

were generally above 4.0 mg/l.

the value of

DO below 5.0 mg/l was recorded only in

2.6%

cases.

PRE-GAP BOD POST-GAP BOD

The BOD levels were higher at Kannauj

and downstream upto Varanasi. The pattern of

variation, spatial and temporal, was notsmooth.

Maximum values were recorded at Kanpur

Values exceeding 3.0 mg/l or

more were recorded in 27% samples. values

exceeded the acceptablestandard ( 3.0 mg/l) at Rishikesh and

Haridwar



57

downstream [15.5 mg/l, 14.15 mg/l, 16.39

mg/l(post-monsoon, winter and summers)].

Minimum

values of less than 3 mg/l were recorded in

the hilly stretches.

only once and twice respectively whereas

betweenKannauj and Kanpur the values exceeded the

acceptable level frequently. Higher values of

BOD

were also recorded at Allahabad andVaranasi.

PRE-GAP COLIFORM POST-GAP COLIFORM

The variation in total coliforms was 48333,916667

and 835333 MPN/100 ml (post monsoon,

winter

and summer) at Uluberia with minimumlevels at

Haridwar (43, 2400,2400)

The fecal coliform counts exceeded thestipulated limit at Kannauj, Kanpur,

Allahabad and

Varanasi. It is also observed that standards for

coliforms are exceeded more frequently thanfor

BOD and DO. Thus coliform and BOD

emerge asThe most critical parameters of river pollution.

IMPACT OF RIVER ACTION PLAN

ON RIVER QUALITY: Despite the problems of operation and maintenance river water quality has shown

discernible improvement (in terms of DO and BOD) over the pre-GAP period. This has

to be seen in the background of a steep increase in population with concomitant increasein organic pollution load. In the absence of Ganga Action Plan, there would have been

further deterioration in these parameters. This conclusion has also been corroborated byseveral independent studies(Markandya &Murthy, 2004). The high BOD values in some

of the towns are attributed to increased population and partial interception and diversionunder GAP schemes.

The water quality of the river is likely to improve when all the ongoing works are completed and

the entire waste water being generated is tackled.A comparison of pre-GAP and post-GAP values of the three critical parameters, namely DO,

BOD and Coliforms reveals the following: Dissolved Oxygen is largely within acceptable limits. In the upper Ganga, from origin to

Haridwar, the water quality is more or less of Bathing Standards (Class B).

Higher levels of coliform are present almost throughout Ganga. GAP has not been able to

adequately address the issue of coliforms.The stretch from Kannauj to Kanpur and Allahabad to Varanasi remains critical and needsfocused attention. Apart from higher levels of coliforms, the norms for BOD indicating organic

pollution are also exceeded in this stretch. A study on development of scenarios on comparison

of river water quality without GAP (Markandya & Murthy, 2004) showed that a stretch of about

740 km (out of total 1520 km) between Rishikesh and Rajmahal would have violated the BODlimit of 3 mg/l without GAP. The study also indicated that stretch of about 437 km had a BOD

level above the permissible limit of 3 mg/l after GAP I.



58

Critical Analysis of GAP: The implementation of GAP has been successful in preventing further deterioration of

water quality in the river Ganga, and in fact improving it in a few places, even though the pollution load has increased substantially with time.

It would be safe to infer that if the pollution abatement programme had not been taken upthere would have been an inevitable and sharp deterioration in the quality of water,

posing a serious threat to public health and ecology. Another positive impact of the programme has been an increased public awareness of the need to protect our rivers and

other sources of surface water from degradation.

In view of the fact that water quality has not yet reached the prescribed standards for bathing, especially in the stretch from Kannauj to Varanasi, there has been criticism of

the GAP in the media and civil society. A very significant factor in this regard is theinadequate flow in the river due to abstraction of water for various purposes including

irrigation, drinking water and power generation. A sizeable proportion of water is

diverted into the

Upper and Lower Ganga canals resulting in reduced flow in the main river. On the otherhand, there have been independent studies by academic institutions which have

concluded that the programme has produced positive results. The Cost Benefit Analysis

of GAP-I carried out jointly by the University of Bath and Metroeconomica, UK incollaboration with several Indian institutions also endorsed the positive outcomes of the

Plan.

Another indicator of the positive impact of GAP I is that several States demanded that theriver conservation programme be extended to other rivers. As a result, the National RiverConservation Plan (NRCP) was launched in 1995, presently covers polluted stretches of

36 rivers in 20 States.

LIMITED SCOPE OF GAPGAP suffered from the following limitations;

Only a part of the pollution load of the river could be tackled. GAP concentrated onimproving the water quality of Ganga, in terms of organic pollution and dissolved

oxygen.

Only the wastewater of towns flowing through the drains to the river was

targeted.Connections of household toilets to the sewer system, solid waste management,

and some other vital aspects of municipal activities, which impinge on the water quality

were not addressed.

The issue of ensuring environmental flows in the river was not attended to. This has

become increasingly important in view of the competing demands on the Ganga water fordrinking, irrigation and power generation. Adopting more efficient water conservation

practices could have reduced the need for abstraction of water fromGanga.

Tree cover in the Ganga basin has reduced considerably and land use pattern has changedleading to soil erosion. Sediment yield and its deposit on the river bed were also notmonitored.

Pollution load from non-point sources was addressed marginally.



59

No attention was paid to run-off from agricultural fields, which brings non-biodegradable pesticides into the river. Measures necessary for the prevention of pollution of the river

water while planning new settlements or expansion of the present ones were not

considered.

Watershed development as well as groundwater and surface water interaction were not

covered. Only Class-I towns on the banks of rivers were taken up. Thus a large number of urban

settlements remained outside the purview of the Plan.

Pollution from rural sector was not addressed. Several parameters such as heavy metals,

pesticides, nitrogen and phosphorous were not monitored. These parameters have become

important with increased industrialization and urbanization

IMPLEMENTATION:Problems of land acquisition, court cases, contractual issues and inadequate capacities in thelocal bodies/implementing agencies came in the way of speedy implementation.

In some cases, essential components of schemes were not foreseen and estimates had to be

revised. This caused cost over-runs and delays.

OPERATION & MAINTENANCE:While seeking approval of schemes under the GAP, the State Governments had committed toensuring proper O&M of the river conservation assets being created. However, most of the states

could not provide adequate financial resources for O&M, steady and uninterrupted electricity

and experienced manpower. The Municipal Corporations had problems in raising the required

financial and human resources to ensure proper operation and maintenance of pollutionabatement infrastructure created under GAP. Consequently, O&M of these assets suffered

resulting in continued pollution of the river.

Under-utilization of STPs, in some instances due to non-conveyance of the sewage to the STPs, particularly in the absence of upstream systems such as branch sewer and house connections is

also a serious constraint.

TECHNOLOGICAL ISSUESDecentralized approach was adopted only in a few places under the Plan. The schemes generally

relied on centralized systems, which meant that sewage was transported to the periphery of the

town for treatment before its final disposal. This resulted in long sewer systems, involving

pumping and treatment, which were capital and energy intensive.A variety of treatment technologies have been adopted under GAP. At places where adequate

land was available, waste stabilization pond technology was used. In most other places,technologies like the Activated Sludge Process

(ASP), which is a tried and tested technology, as well as up flow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket(UASB), which is a new technology, were adopted. While ASPis an energy intensive

technology, the UASB is less energy intensive but its effluent needs to be polished to meet the

prescribed standards before it can be discharged into the river. The experience of using varioustechnologies under GAP has been utilized in selection of appropriate treatment technologies in

river pollution abatement programmes subsequently taken up under the



61

What should we do?1. Accept that for cleaning rivers in India, where cost of pollution control treatment is

unaffordable and unmanageable, the availability of water for dilution will be critical. The

standards for ‗acceptable water quality‘ provide for a dilution factor of 10. Discharge standardsfor water bodies are set at 30 for BOD, while bathing water quality standard is 3 BOD. Water

inflow should be provided to build the assimilative capacity in the river for self-cleansing waste.

It is essential to note that rivers without water are drains. The additional water for ecological

flow becomes contested. But this flow must be mandated so that it comes from the state

government‘s own allocation of riparian water. The government then has a choice to build

storage to collect monsoon water for dilution within its territory or to ‗release‘ water to rivers

and make other choices for use in agriculture, drinking or industry. In other words, all users must

be forced to plan for water needs based on what the river can spare, not what they can snatch.

2. Accept that urban areas will not catch up with the infrastructure to build conventional sewage

networks at the scale and pace needed for pollution control. Thus, the conveyance of waste must

be re-conceptualized and implemented at the time of planning treatment plants. This will lead to

innovative ideas for controlling pollution in drains treatment of sewage and local treatment and

reuse. The discharge of treated effluent will be carefully reconsidered and designed. The treated

effluent will not be ‗mixed‘ with the untreated waste in drains. Instead, all treated effluent will

either be designed for reuse or it will be discharged directly into the river.

Action plan:

1. Do not plan for STPs; instead plan for drains that are discharging into the Ganga. Prioritize

action based on drains with high pollution load, so that impact is immediate.

2. Make a drain-wise plan, which looks to treat waste without first building the internal

conveyance system. Plan for interception and pumping to sewage treatment plant. Plan for in

situ drain treatment, as it will bring down pollution levels of discharge that is not intercepted.

Bottom-line, use the open drain for treatment of waste.

3. Ensure that there is a plan for treated effluents, plan deliberately for utilization or disposal of

treated effluent.

4. Plan the reuse and recycling of treated effluent, either for city water use or agricultural use.

Plan deliberately. Implement this objective.

5. Plan to treat wastewater before it discharges into the river.

6. No untreated waste should be disposed into river. The provision for ecological flow for

assimilation of waste will be critical for setting standards for discharge. If there is no water in the

river, only waste that is discharged, then standards have to be so stringent that they can meet

bathing or even drinking water quality. This will be prohibitively expensive and it makes no



62

economic sense (in a poor country) to clean wastewater to drinking water quality and then not

use it for this purpose.

7. If all this is not acceptable, or does not get operationalized, then the only alternative for river

cleaning is to ask cities to get their water supply downstream of their discharge points. In other

words, they will have to use their wastewater and then invest to clean it to turn it into drinkingwater for their citizens.

Otherwise, we must learn that we all live downstream. 3. Accept that there is a need to publicly

fund Ganga cleaning programmes but simultaneously ensure that state and municipal

governments have to contribute either through funds or through release of water for ecological

flow.

Even if the current situation requires Central government assistance for capital and operational

costs, this is not tenable in the long run or for the scale of pollution control infrastructure that is

required to clean the river. As long as states do not have the responsibility to build sewage

treatment systems or to maintain these they have no incentive to plan for affordable solutions or

even to implement projects. In the current system the Central government will pay full capital

cost for infrastructure and even pay for running the plant. There is absolutely no incentive to plan

the water-waste infrastructure for affordability and sustainability.

Action Plan: Build clear conditionality in Central government funding, that it will match

financial support to the quantum of ecological flow released by the state in the river or payment

for capital and operation of infrastructure. As water utilities do not have infrastructure to charge

for operations, build innovative systems for collection of pollution payments at the

city/settlement level.

4. Tighten enforcement of industrial pollution norms. There are no alternatives for this. It is clear

that industries must be able to meet discharge standards that have been legally set in the country.In UP, records show that almost all industries inspected by the Central Pollution Control Board

in 2013 are in breach of existing standards. It is time for tough action.

Final VerdictWhile working on this project we came across the various problems related to the Holy

Ganges. This project helped us in understanding accurately and precisely the adverseeffects and the heavy toll that we have paid for our so called industrial revolution.

As can be gauged from the data presented, the Ganga has been turned into sewage

dumping site and its water has become unsuitable for even bathing, let alone drinking.

The Data collected also goes on to show how Industries have completely neglected their role

in safe guarding and maintaining the purity of the Ganga River which is regarded as the

holiest of the Holy.



63

As we progress through the project we realize that the states that are fed by the Ganga

have also not done much for maintaining its purity with UP being one of the major

Culprits as can be seen from the study on Varanasi and Kanpur. The report also shows us

how utterly grim the situation has turned for almost all of our rivers.

We also need to realize that in the name of worship and religion we have forgotten andfailed in our roles to this magnanimous Entity. This project report also intended to work as

an active criticism of the various new industrial plans intended to be setup on the banks of

this dying leviathan. This report is also intended to celebrate and acknowledge the various

schemes and efforts of individuals who are actively working to uphold and protect our

environment.

But all is not dark as there is still hope for this feeder of millions as can be seen from the

partial success of GAP I and the recent 90,000 crore rupee renewed Ganga plan.

The Final Part of this report contains a few recommendations that can be incorporated to

our lifestyles and into the government planning committees that can help save this water

source which will in turn help our own lives blossom

In the end we can only believe in the old saying that it’s the Darkest just before Sunrise and

we need such a sunrise to rejuvenate this dying river.

References Sood, Anchal, et al. "Assessment of bacterial indicators and physicochemical parameters

to investigate pollution status of Gangetic river system of Uttarakhand

(India)." Ecological Indicators 8.5 (2008): 709-717.

THOMAS, TARENCE, et al. "Assessment of Water Quality of River Ganga along Ghats

in Varanasi City, UP, India." Assessment 4.04 (2011): 698-711.

Chauhan, Avnish, and Suman Singh. "Evaluation of Ganga water for drinking purpose by

water quality index at Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India." Rep Opin 2.9 (2010): 53-61. Joshi, Dhirendra Mohan, Alok Kumar, and Namita Agrawal. "Studies on

physicochemical parameters to assess the water quality of river Ganga for drinking

purpose in Haridwar district." Ras J Chem 2 (2009): 195-203.

Roy, Pankaj Kumar, et al. "Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment of Pollutional Load

in River Ganga in West Bengal Using Statistical Technique."World Applied Sciences

Journal 29.5 (2014): 634-640.



Tripathi, B. D., M. Sikandar, and Suresh C. Shukla. "Physico-chemical characterization

of city sewage discharged into river Ganga at Varanasi, India." Environment

international 17.5 (1991): 469-478.

Singh, K.P., A. Malik and S. Sinha, 2005. Water quality assessment and apportionment

of pollution statistical techniques- a case study, Analytica which is now a lifeline to

millions of Chimica Acta, 538: 355-374. Agrawal, D. K, Gaur S. D, Tiwari I. C., Naray Answami N. and Marwah S. M.(1976);

physiochemical characteristic of ganga water at varanasi Indian of environmental

health;18: Pp. 201-206.

Literature:

―DOWN TO EARTH‖

EIA Methodologies by Y. Anjaneyulu

Intro To Environment Text Book

Web Portals:

www.sciencedirect.com

www.cpcb.nic.in

googlescholar.co.in

Wikipedia.org

http://www.sciencedirect.com/



pollution assessment of river ganga and various cleaning missions

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