The Ganges River is the largest river in India and one of the most sacred rivers in Hinduism. It is also one of the most polluted rivers in the world. The river originates in the Himalayas and flows for about 2,700 kilometers before emptying into the Bay of Bengal. The Ganges River basin is home to about 400 million people, making it the most populous river basin in the world.
The Ganges River is certainly not in a pristine state, but neither is it in an ecological disaster zone. The extent of pollution and degradation varies greatly along the river. In general, the further upstream you go, the healthier the river is. However, even in the upper reaches of the river, there are still some serious pollution problems.
What is the current situation of Ganga river?
The Ganges is one of the most sacred rivers in India and is also one of the most polluted. The river is considered to be the fifth-most polluted river in the world. An Indian photographer has noted that no one in India spoke of the Ganges as being polluted until the late 1970s. However, pollution had been an old and continuous process in the river by the time people were finally acknowledging it.
The Chief Minister was speaking at an event in Kanpur after inaugurating the ‘Ganga Aarti’ there.
This is a great development for the river Ganga and for the people who live near it. The improved condition of the river will lead to better health and quality of life for those who depend on it.
Is the Ganges River Drying Up
The WMO has released its preliminary findings on the state of the world’s water resources in 2021, and it paints a worrying picture. In the Ganga-Brahmaputra and Indus basins, which form the Plain, more water was observed flowing in the river channels due to glacial melt even as their total water storage declined. This is a cause for concern as it indicates that the glaciers in these regions are melting at an accelerated rate, which could lead to severe water shortages in the future.
Satellite-based data has revealed that extensive groundwater withdrawal through pumping is depleting the Gangetic aquifers of north India. This is having a knock-on effect of drying up the river in summers. The Ganges is one of the most polluted mega-rivers in the world, and this latest development is likely to exacerbate the problem.
How contaminated is the Ganges River?
It’s estimated that every year, around 1.5 million people die from waterborne diseases caused by the contaminated water in the Ganges.
The pollution in the Ganges is caused by a number of factors, including untreated sewage, industrial waste and the use of pesticides and fertilisers in agriculture.
The Indian government has been trying to clean up the river for years, but the task is proving to be difficult and expensive. In 2014, the government launched the ‘Namami Gange’ programme, which aims to clean up the river and improve its water quality.
So far, the programme has had mixed results and the river continues to be polluted.
The scientific reason for why the water of the river Ganga is naturally bacteriophage-free is that the bacteriophages present in the water do not allow for bacterial growth. This is due to the fact that the bacteriophages kill the bacteria before they have a chance to reproduce.
Do people drink from the Ganges River?
The river Ganges is one of the longest and most sacred rivers in India. It is also one of the most polluted rivers in the country. Every day, millions of people use the river for bathing, drinking and washing. This has resulted in the river becoming increasingly polluted over the years.
The Indian government has been trying to clean up the river for many years now, but the task is proving to be very difficult. In 2015, the government launched the “Namami Gange” project, which is the biggest ever clean-up project for the river.
Despite these efforts, the river remains highly polluted and it will take many years to clean it up completely. In the meantime, the people who rely on the river will continue to suffer from the health effects of pollution.
The Chambal River is the cleanest river in India and is home to many remarkable species of animals. The river is thought to be pollution-free, and is a great place to see mugger and gharial, freshwater turtles, Gangetic river dolphins, and Indian skimmers.
Can I swim in Ganga river
Like most big rivers, the Ganges has different types of flow and undertow in places. Swimming is possible in the calmer areas, where there is no undertow, but it’s preferable that one does not swim in the calmer portion as it’s highly polluted.
The Ganga water contains Oxygen levels 25 times higher than any other river in the world. This is one of the reasons of self-purifying attributes of River Ganga and high levels of oxygen in the waters of Ganga gives it the unique ability to remain fresh over a prolonged period of time.
What is the future of the Ganges river?
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has predicted that the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra river basins will see an increase in river ‘runoff’ by 2050 and 2100. These river basins provide water to the most densely populated areas of south Asia, and the increased river runoff will have a significant impact on the people living in these areas. The IPCC projection is based on the assumption that the global average temperature will increase by 1.5°C by 2100.
There is a belief among some people that locals have built up an immunity to the river’s bacteria, even if their mission is to clean it up. However, according to Sue Lennox, chief executive of OzGreen, the idea that people who bathe in the river don’t get ill is a myth.
Why do people still bathe in the Ganges river
Bathing in the Ganges is a purifying ritual that is thought to wash away a penitent’s sins. The ritual is believed to be beneficial for both the body and the soul, and it is an important part of many Hindu ceremonies. Spreading one’s ashes in the Ganges after death is also thought to be beneficial, as it is believed to hasten salvation.
The river stinks because of the sewage and effluents from the tanneries that go into it. This is especially a problem during the Kumbh Mela when 200km downstream, people are bathing in the river.
What happens if we bath in Ganga?
There is no denying that bathing in the Ganga can expose people to high levels of faecal coliform bacteria. In fact, a recent study found that the number of fecal coliform bacteria in the river was about 3,000 times higher than the safe limit set by the World Health Organization.
This is extremely worrying because faecal coliform bacteria can cause a number of serious diseases, including cholera, dysentery and typhoid. What’s even more concerning is that the number of people bathing in the Ganga is only increasing, which means that more and more people are at risk of contracting these diseases.
The best way to protect yourself from these bacteria is to avoid contact with the water of the Ganga. If you must bathe in the river, make sure to do so downstream of any population center and only do so if you are absolutely sure that the water is clean.
There are six species of river sharks found in the world, out of which the Ganges shark (Glyphis gangeticus) is endemic to India It inhabits the River Hooghly in West Bengal, as well as the rivers Ganges, Brahmaputra, Mahanadi in the states of Bihar, Assam and Orissa.
The Ganges shark is a critically endangered species and is protected under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Which is the dirtiest river in India
The Yamuna is one of the most polluted rivers in the world. This is due to the fact that it flows through the metropolis of New Delhi. The Yamuna is 855 miles (1,375km) long and starts off in the Himalayas with crystal clear water. However, after it flows through Delhi, it becomes polluted with garbage and sewage.
The Swachh Survekshan cleanliness survey has adjudged Haridwar, one of the most ancient holy cities, as the cleanest Ganga town in the category of more than 1 lakh population. Varanasi and Rishikesh bagged the second and the third place.
Final Words
The Ganges River is one of the most important rivers in India. It is a sacred river for Hindus and is also a major source of water for agricultural and industrial uses. The current state of the Ganges River is that it is very polluted. There is a lot of sewage and industrial waste that is dumped into the river. This has caused a major decline in the quality of the water. There are also a lot of people who live along the river and they often use it as a toilet. This has led to a rise in the number of diseases that are contracted from the river. The government is trying to clean up the river, but it is a very difficult task.
In conclusion, the current state of the Ganges River is poor. The river is heavily polluted with sewage and industrial waste, and it is also facing major challenges from climate change. As a result, the river is unable to support the needs of the tens of millions of people who rely on it for their livelihoods.
