GANGA-POLLUTED FLOWS THE GANGA

                           GANGA-POLLUTED FLOWS THE GANGA

  The Ganga is a trans-boundary river between India and Bengladesh. The river rises in the western Himalayas in Uttarkhand and flows south and east through the Gangetic plain of North India in to Bangladesh, where it empties in to the Bay of Bengal. The Ganges basin is the  most heavily populated river basin in the world. Today,the Ganga is among the top five most polluted rivers in the world. The pollution threatens not only humans,but also more than 140 fish species,90 amphibian species and the endangered Ganges river dolphin.
   Jawaharlal Nehru,the first Prime Minister of India wrote" The Ganges above all, is the river of India which has held India's heart captive and drawn un counted millions to her banks since the dawn of history. The story of the Gages,from  her source to the sea, from old times to new, is the story of India's civilization and culture.
  Indeed, the Ganga has remained a symbol of religious and spiritual faith for the country, with millions of Hindus visiting its banks to cleanse themselves of their sins and offer prayers. On November 4,2008,the Ganga was officially declared India's national river.
  Our national river is also one of the most polluted rivers in the country, and one of the 10 most threatened river basins in the world. The quality of Ganga's water is steadily worsening. Now not only is water unfit for drinking,but it would also be harmful to use for agricultural purposes. The level of coli form bacteria, a type of bacteria that indicates the purity of water,should be below 50 for drinking and below 5000 for agricultural use. The present level of coli form in the Ganga at Haridwar is 5500. A study conducted by the Uttaranchal Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board slotted river water in to four categories, A being fit for drinking,B for bathing C for agriculture and D is for excessive pollution level. The Ganga's water was given a definite D.
  The population explosion has led to industrialization ,urbanization and poverty and put great pressure on the river. Most of the rivers pollution is due to the careless disposal of human faeces , urine, all the way from its mouth at Ganmulu till Haridwar
  Almost 1.4 billion liters of untreated sewage is disposed off in the Ganga, with each of the 27 cities located along its banks contributing to this number. During the pilgrimage season, the amount is even higher, as almost 15 lakh pilgrims visit the state and  visit the holy river. The state of Uttarpradesh alone is responsible for over 50 percent of the pollutants in the river.
  It is not just sewage that is polluting the river.Haridwar being holy Hindu ground. The river is used for post cremation rituals.Medical waste, which is toxic and harmful from the base hospital in Srinagar is also dumped in to the river.
   the tanneny industry of North India uses the river as a dumping ground, contributing heavily to the waters pollution. A stretech of the Yamuna, the Ganga's main tributary,has been empty of aquatic life for at least a decade because the pollution does not allow any life forms to thrive in the water.
  Over the years ,people have became more aware of the dangers this level of pollution in the Ganga poses for both human life as well as the Eco system. The  river that is the life source of many is fast turning poisonous various steps have been taken to protect at restore the Ganga.
   The Ganga Action Plan was launched in 1986 by the Government of India. Despite heavy expenditure, the plan was not a success. Now ,the center has promised that by 2020, the Ganga will be free of pollutants. On November1,2010, the 135 km long stretch between Ganmukh and Uttarkashi was declared an Eco-sensitive zone. There hydro projects proposed on the river were also discontinued

                                                                                            Prof. John Kurakar