In Numbers: How waste is usurping Ganga

Back in July, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) declared an area of 100 metres from the edge of the Ganga between Haridwar and Unnao a “No Development Zone”, prohibiting dumping of waste within 500 metres of the river.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board, heavy metals such as chromium, mercury and lead make up the thick soup of untreated toxic waste that typically pour in from hospitals, chemical plants, hospitals, textile mills and distilleries along its banks. Floating ingredients such as faeces, human and animal rotting flesh, and modern plastics add to the 2,723 million litres of sewage pumped into the Ganges’ tributaries on a daily basis.

A study in 2009 found that Ganga water has some antimicrobial attributes, that may form the basis for developing antimicrobial compounds. However, the oxygen levels have reduced substantially making the water unfit for drinking, bathing or even agriculture. Heavy metals such as chromium, mercury and lead make up the thick soup of untreated toxic waste that typically pour in from hospitals, chemical plants, hospitals, textile mills and distilleries along its banks. Floating ingredients such as faeces, human and animal rotting flesh, and modern plastics add to the 2,723 million litres of sewage pumped into the Ganges’ tributaries on a daily basis. Source: Central Pollution Control Board. The Ganga is about 2,525 km long. The river covers 29 cities having a population of more than 100,000, 23 cities having population between 50,000 and 100,000 and about 48 towns. The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has approved 26 projects worth Rs.2,154.28 crore under the Centre’s ‘Namami Gange’ programme, aiming to reduce the river’s pollution load. However, meeting the 2018 clean up deadline is looking unlikely. “It is estimated that 80% of sewage in the Ganga basin is untreated. The Ganga is still the main sewer for many of the 450 million people reckoned to live in its catchment area.” Source: Centre for Science and the Environment Dr B. D. Tripathi, an environmental and water pollution expert at Banaras Hindu University, estimates 32,000 human corpses are cremated there each year with up to 300 tonnes of half-burnt human flesh released into the river. The Ganga supplies water for drinking, bathing, laundry, irrigation and energy production to more than 40 per cent of India’s population. Source: International Water Management Institute India’s leather industry accounted for 12.9 per cent of the world’s leather production in 2015-2016. Kanpur, one of the cities on the banks of the Ganga is a main leather production centre. Chromium, which is used in leather production, can cause lung cancer, liver failure, kidney damage and premature dementia if improperly handled. A study conducted by National Geographic in 2013 showed that tanneries were pumping out approximately 79 million gallons of contaminated water into the Ganga a day. The Ganga has levels of pollutants that is 3,000 times more than what WHO defines as ‘safe, and near Haridwar the Coliform bacteria level is 100 times more than the permissible limit. Source: The Third Pole NDN-1 genes in sewerage waste associate with bacteria to form ‘superbugs’ that cannot be treated with most antibiotics, and these have been found in the Yamuna in Delhi and in the Ganga, even in the upper reaches. Source: The Third Pole A study in 2009 found that Ganga water has some antimicrobial attributes, that may form the basis for developing antimicrobial compounds. However, the oxygen levels have reduced substantially making the water unfit for drinking, bathing or even agriculture. Heavy metals such as chromium, mercury and lead make up the thick soup of untreated toxic waste that typically pour in from hospitals, chemical plants, hospitals, textile mills and distilleries along its banks. Floating ingredients such as faeces, human and animal rotting flesh, and modern plastics add to the 2,723 million litres of sewage pumped into the Ganges’ tributaries on a daily basis. Source: Central Pollution Control Board.

The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has approved 26 projects worth Rs.2,154.28 crore under the Centre’s ‘Namami Gange’ programme, aiming to reduce the river’s pollution load. However, meeting the 2018 clean up deadline is looking unlikely.

“It is estimated that 80% of sewage in the Ganga basin is untreated. The Ganga is still the main sewer for many of the 450 million people reckoned to live in its catchment area,” the Centre for Science and the Environment has said.

Dr B. D. Tripathi, an environmental and water pollution expert at Banaras Hindu University, estimates 32,000 human corpses are cremated there each year with up to 300 tonnes of half-burnt human flesh released into the river