Ganga, the national river of India, is now sadly depleted in flow and utterly polluted due to construction of dams and barrages, discharge of untreated municipal and industrial wastes, floral offerings, cremation of dead bodies.
The Ganga has a course of about 2525 km length,
winding through the states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh,
Bihar, West Bengal, and draining parts of Himachal Pradesh,
Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh before
debouching in to the Bay of Bengal. It is one of the largest
river basins of the world covering 26.3% of the country’s
total geographical area. It has a number of tributaries, the
Yamuna being the largest of all. Its perennial flow is fed by
monsoon and partially by the Himalayan glacier melt.
Gifted naturally with large freshwater resources and vast
fertile lands, the basin has the distinction of being one of
the most populated (with a total population of 337,861,976)
and intensely cultivated regions in the world, being the
food basket of one crore people of the land and the chief
source for drinking, irrigation and industrial needs.
Therefore, it is but natural that the country is concerned
with the health of the river regime, – its flow and purity of
Charak samhita, the ancient medical treatise,
characterizes Ganga water as pure, and sacred. It is the majorsource of drinking water, as no germ, bacteria or fungi can thrive in it. Hence Ganga water is revered as holy. The
properties of the river regime primarily owe to the geology,
wind, sun rays, climate and rainfall, trees and vegetation in
the drainage basin. The self purifying capacity of the Ganga
is derived from its unusually high ability to retain dissolved
oxygen (DO) inherited from this environment. Lack of
adequate ‘dissolved oxygen’ leads to septic condition and
rise in biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) in the river.
According to Markandya and Murty (‘Cleaning up the
Ganges’, Oxford University Press, 2000, p.1) 1.3 billion
liters of sewage, 260 million liters of industrial waste, runoff
from 6 million tonnes of fertilizers and 9000 tonnes of
pesticides used in agriculture, and large quantities of solid
wastes, are daily released into the river . The total annual
volume of untreated household, and industrial effluents in
the Ganga river basin amounts to 328.9 million kiloliters
(Ministry of Environment and Forest, Govt. of India.
Statistical Review of Programs under National River
Conservation Directorate, Sept. 1996). The major water
polluting industries include chemicals, textiles,
pharmaceuticals, cement, electrical and electronic
equipment, glass and ceramics, pulp and paper board, leather tanning, food processing, and petroleum refining. But the sewage treatment capacity is 27.8-50.4% in most of the
Class I cities, and 13.5% in Class II cities. Reportedly the
discharge of sewage/sullage into the Ganga is responsible
for 75% of its pollution with nearly 3000 mld (million litres
per day) of sewage generated in the towns along the Ganga.
This quantity is too large for self-purification by the Ganga.
Nearly 50% of waste waters are discharged untreated.
In 1982 the citizens of Banaras and teachers of Banaras
Hindu University started Swachha (Pure) Ganga campaign,
supported by the Sankat Mochan Temple establishment with
a vow to clean the Ganga, to start with at Varanasi. Sankat
Mochan Foundation was a tiny organization, which
vowed “to act as a catalytic agent to work with the people to spread the message of ‘clean Ganga’ and the need for
everybody’s participation and assistance to achieve the
objective”. The campaign proved to be very
effective.
Rajeev Gandhi’s Ganga Action Plan in the eighties was
an outcome of this intense desire to cleanse the Ganga,
initially launched in Varanasi and some other cities. It was
aimed at stoppage of sewage disposal in to the river by
renovation of sewage pumping and treatment plants, and
existing sewerage system, as also installation of new sewage
treatment plants (STP), extending the existing sewerage
systems to the unsewered systems in parts of the cities,
prevention of throwing dead bodies into the river, and
regulated use of pesticides and insecticides for agriculture.
Trunk sewers parallel to the river were already laid for
interception of sewage, leading it to the sewage treatment
plants. The effluents from the sewage treatment plants
could be treated as rich source of energy (say biogas) and
manorial matter.
But sadly, Ganga Action Plan Phases I and II met with
only partial success due to various factors, the failure on
part of the government to involve people being cited as a
major one. The sewage pumps did not work in the flood
season and during power failures, often for prolonged’
periods, resulting in total sewage of the city draining into
the river. The treated effluents from STP caused health
hazards, ruined crops and polluted groundwater.
Following this, various alternatives were proposed from
several quarters, but the one from Sankat Mochan
Foundation accepted by Varanasi Nagar Nigam (Mishra,
2005) which provides for people’s participation in the
operation, interception and diversion of sewage flowing into
the Ganga without using electricity and pumps, treatment
plants using minimum electrical power and a technology
eliminating faecal coliform and harmful bacteria, using
existing facilities.
The cleaning operation involves Advanced Integrated Wastewater Oxidation Pond System AIWPS) which allows fermentation in anaerobic condition leaving no residue, release of maximum free molecular oxygen in dissolved state, algal removal, which have fertilizing value, and also disinfection of the residues.
The cleaning operation involves Advanced Integrated Wastewater Oxidation Pond System AIWPS) which allows fermentation in anaerobic condition leaving no residue, release of maximum free molecular oxygen in dissolved state, algal removal, which have fertilizing value, and also disinfection of the residues.
It has now been realized that decentralized system is
cheap, efficient and self regulating. Domestic waters contain
biodegradable elements. Separation of black water (faecal
matter) and grey water (remaining waste water) is possible
by using two-pipe system. Primary treatment is feasible at
plot-holding level. Treated and semi-treated waters may be
recycled and reused. Existing STPs can provide additional
treatment to water outflows. Use of chemicals and energy is
minimal. STPs can provide secondary and tertiary treatment
for the water to be recycled. Citizens and NGOs share
responsibility.
In recognition of this problem as of national dimension,
the river Ganga was declared as National River by the Prime
Minister in 2008 with the constitution of Ganga River Basin
Regulatory Authority. It is a solemn pledge to ensure its
perennial flow in all its natural quality, quantity and natural
piety. It introduces a code of conduct and self discipline for
the citizens towards this national symbol. It aspires for
maximum involvement and participation of the people or
stake holders, and innovative strategies for its restoration.
This has been enshrined in the profile of actions as envisaged in the Government Notification (February 2009) including a river basin approach for conservation, guaranteeing minimum ecological flows, practice of water conservation and constitution of state river conservation authorities, social auditing of river basin management plans.
The Ganga River Basin Authority has launched an
ambitious project ‘Mission Clean Ganga’ with proposal
for a massive investment of 15,000 Crores of rupees for
its revival and purification including installation of
Purification Plants, by the targeted year of 2020 (The
Hindu, October 6, 2009). In 10 years no municipal waste
water will be discharged into the Ganga. No new project
that endanger the ecosystem will be approved by his
Ministry.
A river belongs to an entire ecosystem, which needs to
be protected for the humanity. The Government and the civil
society have specific roles in the management of the river.
Development and environmental protection cannot be done
without combining faith, spiritual approach and science.
Decentralisation of the functioning of the river basin
authority is a primary step. To meet this end the regulatory
authority should include representatives of scientists, local
residents, environmentalists, saints, priests, pilgrims, in
addition to government. Premier scientific, academic and
technical bodies or institutes like Geological Society of
India, Geological Survey of India, Central Water
Commission, Central Ground Water Board, Departments of
Environment and Forest, Pollution Control Board, National
Law School, Medical Council of India, Banaras Hindu
University, Indian Institute of Technology (Roorkee) should
be suitably associated with the authority. A civil society has
to keep in mind the long term interest of the mankind, the
purity of water and soil, the health of the rivers and water
bodies, and survival of its biodiversity. Rivers are
repositories of our common future.
Globalisation is leading to private profit making interests
taking over river and its management. The people or the
stake holders, should now come together to raise the voice
of conscience, infuse life to the dying regime and mother
earth. Thus the much needed course of actions involves a
multilateral approach which needs constitution of an
autonomous central authority, established by law and armed
with executive and financial powers, which will be
responsible to execute the following policies to control
Environmental Problems.
1. Monitoring and control, assisted by research and analysis
on protection and conservation of river.
2. Preparing and executing river basin management plan.
To achieve these avowed objectives, the following
strategic action programs should be initiated drawing from
the lessons of cleaning Thames and Danube.
1. Collecting data. Establishing national and regional data
bases and information systems. Identification of ‘hot
spots’ of pollution.
2. Based on monitoring data and water quality modeling,
pollution budget may be drawn to estimate the maximum
pollutant load compatible with quality objectives to be
achieved in these identified sections.
3. Drawing up restoration programs in the form of action
modules. Conducting feasibility studies.
4. Implementation of the plans through State River
Conservation Authorities under its direct control.
5. Providing technical assistance to participating states in
implementation of restoration programs. Training cum
capacity building of States and NGO’s.
Action plans should be phased as short term and long
term to achieve the following goals:
1. Phased enhancement of municipal waste water treatment
capacity. Construction of waste treatment plants.
2. Reduction in effluent discharges from industries and
agriculture.
3. Wetland inventory. Conservation, restoration and
management of wetland, and flood plain areas through
integrated water management’.
4. Adoption of sustainable agricultural practices, using
organic fertilizers only.
5. Adoption and implementation of water quality objectives
set for different sections of rivers.
6. Prohibition of discharge of untreated sewage and
defecation in the river, throwing dead bodies and
cremation articles into the river, and use of plastic bags.
7. Practice of a new set of rituals and Ganga worship
without excessive use of flowers, leaves, harmful to the
aquatic life.
8. All real estate activities or construction or other related
developmental activities around Ganga must have
permission from the Authority to accord maximum
protection against damage and pollution to the riverine
regime.
The Authority should have a Management Board drawing
a number of Members from stake holders, including the
public representatives and priests, NGOs, all related
scientific and technical institutions or organizations, both
government and non government, engaged in management
and research on conservation and protection of river regime.
It should draw state wise plans in consultation with the
members. It will operate through State River Conservation
Authorities, which will come under its complete control. It
will also introduce a system of social auditing and ensure
transparent actions.its bank. Kanpur to Trighat is identified as the most polluted section of the river. Har Har Gange....