a case study by

Oshil Dhiman (Graphics)

Kaushik Maurya (Graphics)
Varnika Chauhan (interior)
Jhanvi Rawat (Graphics)
Reviving the River Ganges: An In-Depth Case Study
on Water Pollution and Conservation Efforts in India

Introduction:
The River Ganges, often called the lifeline of India, is not just a river
but a source of life, spirituality, and sustenance for millions. It is a
river that has witnessed the rise and fall of empires, the birth of great
religions, and the daily rituals of the countless faithful. Yet, this
sacred river, which flows from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal, is
facing an unprecedented crisis of pollution that threatens its very
existence and the well-being of those who depend on it.
The Ganges is considered holy by millions who believe in its power
to cleanse sins and grant moksha, or liberation. However, the river’s
sanctity is in stark contrast to its physical state, marred by the inflow
of industrial waste, sewage, and the remnants of human and animal
corpses. This case study aims to provide a thorough analysis of the
multifaceted pollution challenges that the Ganges is grappling with. It
delves into the historical significance of the river, the extent of its
pollution, and the various conservation efforts that have been
undertaken to restore its health.
Background:
The Ganges River flows for over 2,500 kilometres and is very
important for both nature and people. It’s home to many kinds of fish
and plants, and lots of people live near it. They use the river water
for drinking, farming, and more. But now, the river is in trouble
because factories and big cities are making it dirty. This pollution
hurts the animals that live in the river, the farms along its banks, and
the health of the people. Everyone needs the Ganges to be clean,
but it’s getting harder as the river becomes more polluted.
Ganges River, great river of the plains of the northern Indian
subcontinent. Although officially as well as popularly called the
Ganga in Hindi and in other Indian languages, internationally it is
known by its conventional name, the Ganges. From time immemorial
it has been the holy river of Hinduism. For most of its course it is a
wide and sluggish stream, flowing through one of the most fertile
and densely populated regions in the world. Despite its importance,
its length of 1,560 miles (2,510 km) is relatively short compared with
the other great rivers of Asia or of the world.

Varanasi, India: Ganges River

Morning prayers along the Ganges River, Varanasi, India.
Rising in the Himalayas and emptying into the Bay of Bengal, it
drains one-fourth of the territory of India, and its basin supports
hundreds of millions of people. The greater part of the Indo-Gangetic
Plain, across which it flows, is the heartland of the region known as
Hindustan and has been the cradle of successive civilizations from
the Mauryan empire of Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE to the Mughal
Empire, founded in the 16th century.

For most of its course the Ganges flows through Indian territory,
although its large delta in the Bengal area, which it shares with the
Brahmaputra River, lies mostly in Bangladesh. The general direction
of the river’s flow is from northwest to southeast. At its delta the flow
is generally southward.

Physical features

Physiography

Gangotri
Gangotri glacier in the Himalayas of Uttarakhand state, northern
India, one of the sources of the Ganges River.

The Ganges rises in the southern Great Himalayas on the Indian

side of the border with the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. Its
five headstreams—the Bhagirathi, the Alaknanda, the Mandakini, the
Dhauliganga, and the Pindar—all rise in the mountainous region of
northern Uttarakhand state. Of those, the two main headstreams are
the Alaknanda (the longer of the two), which rises about 30 miles
(50 km) north of the Himalayan peak of Nanda Devi, and the
Bhagirathi, which originates at about 10,000 feet (3,000 metres)
above sea level in a subglacial meltwater cave at the base of the
Himalayan glacier known as Gangotri. Gangotri itself is a sacred
place for Hindu pilgrimage. The true source of the Ganges, however,
is considered to be at Gurmukhi, about 13 miles (21 km) southeast
of Gangotri.
The Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers unite at Devaprayag to form
the main stream known as the Ganga, which cuts south westward
through the Siwalik Range (Outer Himalayas) at the northern edge
of the Indo-Gangetic Plain to emerge from the mountains at
Rishikesh. It then flows onto the plain at Haridwar, another place
held sacred by Hindus.

Bithur
Ghat on the Ganges River, Bithur, Uttar Pradesh, India.

The volume of the Ganges increases markedly as it receives more

tributaries and enters a region of heavier rainfall, and it shows a
marked seasonal variation in flow. From April to June the melting
Himalayan snows feed the river, and in the rainy season, from July
to September, the rain-bearing monsoons cause floods. During
winter the river’s flow declines. South of Haridwar, now within the
state of Uttar Pradesh, the river receives its two principal right-bank
tributaries: the Yamuna River, which flows through the Delhi capital
region and then roughly parallels the south eastward flow of the
Ganges before joining it near Prayagraj (Allahabad), and the Tons,
which flows north from the Vindhya Range in Madhya Pradesh state
and joins the Ganges just below Prayagraj. The main left-bank
tributaries in Uttar Pradesh are the Ramganga, the Gomati, and the
Ghaghara.

The Ganges next enters the state of Bihar, where its main tributaries
from the Himalayan region of Nepal to the north are the Gandak, the
Burhi (“Old”) Gandak, the Ghugri, and the Kosi rivers. Its
mostimportant southern tributary is the Son River. The river then
skirts the Rajmahal Hills to the south and flows southeast to Farakka
in central West Bengal state, at the apex of the delta. West Bengal is
the last Indian state that the Ganges enters, and, after it flows into
Bangladesh, the Mahananda River joins it from the north. In West
Bengal in India, as well as in Bangladesh, the Ganges is locally
called the Padma. The westernmost distributaries of the delta are
the Bhagirathi and the Hugli (Hooghly) rivers, on the east bank of
which stands the huge metropolis of Kolkata (Calcutta). The Hugli
itself is joined by two tributaries flowing in from the west, the
Damodar and the Rupnarayan. As the Ganges passes from West
Bengal into Bangladesh, a number of distributaries branch off to the
south into the river’s vast delta. In Bangladesh the Ganges is joined
by the mighty Brahmaputra (which is called the Jamuna in
Bangladesh) near Goalundo Ghat. The combined stream, there
called the Padma, joins with the Meghna River above Chandpur.
The waters then flow through the delta region to the Bay of Bengal
via innumerable channels, the largest of which is known as the
Meghna estuary.

The Ganges-Brahmaputra system has the third greatest average

discharge of the world’s rivers, at roughly 1,086,500 cubic feet
(30,770 cubic metres) per second; approximately 390,000 cubic feet
(11,000 cubic metres) per second is supplied by the Ganges alone.
The rivers’ combined suspended sediment load of about 1.84 billion
tons per year is the world’s highest.

Dhaka (Dacca), the capital of Bangladesh, stands on the Buriganga

(“Old Ganges”), a tributary of the Dhaleswari. Apart from the Hugli
and the Meghna, the other distributary streams that form the Ganges
delta are, in West Bengal, the Jalangi River and, in Bangladesh, the
Matabhanga, Bhairab, Kabadak, Garai-Madhumati, and Arial Khan
rivers.

The Ganges, as well as its tributaries and distributaries, is constantly

vulnerable to changes in its course in the delta region. Such
changes have occurred in comparatively recent times, especially
since 1750. In 1785 the Brahmaputra flowed past the city of
Mymensingh; it now flows more than 40 miles (65 km) west of it
before joining the Ganges.

The delta, the seaward prolongation of sediment deposits from the

Ganges and Brahmaputra river valleys, is about 220 miles (355 km)
along the coast and covers an area of some 23,000 square miles
(60,000 square km). It is composed of repeated alternations of clays,
sands, and marls, with recurring layers of peat, lignite, and beds of
what were once forests. The new deposits of the delta, known in
Hindi and Urdu as the khadar, naturally occur in the vicinity of the
present channels. The delta’s growth is dominated by tidal
processes.

The southern surface of the Ganges delta has been formed by the
rapid and comparatively recent deposition of enormous loads of
sediment. To the east the seaward side of the delta is being
changed at a rapid rate by the formation of new lands, known as
chars, and new islands. The western coastline of the delta,
however, has remained practically unchanged since the 18th
century.

The rivers in the West Bengal area are sluggish; little water passes
down them to the sea. In the Bangladeshi delta region, the rivers are
broad and active, carrying plentiful water and connected by
innumerable creeks. During the rains (June to October) the greater
part of the region is flooded to a depth of 3 or more feet (at least 1
metre), leaving the villages and homesteads, which are built on
artificially raised land, isolated above the floodwaters.
Communication between settlements during that season can be
accomplished only by boat.
Sundarbans
Mangrove trees in the Sundarbans.

To the seaward side of the delta as a whole, there is a vast stretch

of tidal mangrove forests and swampland. The region, called the
Sundarbans, is protected by India and Bangladesh for
conservation purposes. Each country’s portion of the Sundarbans
has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, India’s in
1987 and Bangladesh’s in 1997.

In certain parts of the delta there occur layers of peat, composed of

the remains of forest vegetation and rice plants. In many natural
depressions, known as bils, peat, still in the process of formation,
has been used as a fertilizer by local farmers, and it has been dried
and used as a domestic and industrial fuel.

Climate and hydrology

Ganges River: Mahatma Gandhi Bridge

Mahatma Gandhi Bridge spanning the broad, slow-moving Ganges
(Ganga) River between Patna and Haripur, Bihar state, India.
The Ganges basin encompasses some 419,300 square miles
(1,086,000 square km) and contains the largest river system on the
subcontinent. The water supply depends partly on the rains brought
by the south westerly monsoon winds from July to October as well
as on the flow from melting Himalayan snows in the hot season from
April to June. Precipitation in the river basin accompanies the
southwest monsoon winds, but it also comes with tropical cyclones
that originate in the Bay of Bengal between June and October. Only
a small amount of rainfall occurs in December and January. The
average annual rainfall varies from 30 inches (760 mm) at the
western end of the basin to more than 90 inches (2,290 mm) at the
eastern end. (In the upper Gangetic Plain in Uttar Pradesh, rainfall
averages about 30–40 inches [760–1,020 mm]; in the Middle
Ganges Plain of Bihar, from 40 to 60 inches [1,020 to 1,520 mm];
and in the delta region, between 60 and 100 inches [1,520 and
2,540 mm].) The delta region experiences strong cyclonic storms
both before the commencement of the monsoon season, from March
to May, and at the end of it, from September to October. Some of
those storms result in much loss of life and the destruction of homes,
crops, and livestock. One such storm, which occurred in November
1970, was of catastrophic proportions, resulting in deaths of at least
200,000 and possibly as many as 500,000 people; another, in April
1991, killed some 140,000.

Since there is little variation in relief over the entire surface of the
Gangetic Plain, the river’s rate of flow is slow. Between the Yamuna
River at Delhi and the Bay of Bengal, a distance of nearly 1,000
miles (1,600 km), the elevation drops only some 700 feet (210
metres). Altogether the Ganges-Brahmaputra plains extend over an
area of 300,000 square miles (800,000 square km). The alluvial
mantle of the plain, which in some places is more than 6,000 feet
(1,800 metres) thick, is possibly not more than 10,000 years old.

Plant and animal life

Ganges river dolphin
Ganges river dolphin, or susu (Platanista gangetica).

The Ganges-Yamuna area was once densely forested. Historical

writings indicate that in the 16th and 17th centuries wild elephants,
buffalo, bison, rhinoceroses, lions, and tigers were hunted there.
Most of the original natural vegetation has disappeared from the
Ganges basin, and the land is now intensely cultivated to meet the
needs of an ever-growing population. Large wild animals are few,
except for deer, boars, and wildcats and some wolves, jackals, and
foxes. Only in the Sundarbans area of the delta are some Bengal
tigers, crocodiles, and marsh deer still found.

Fish abound in all the rivers, especially in the delta area, where they
form an important part of the inhabitants’ diet. In the Bengal area
common fish include featherbacks (Notopteridae family), barbs
(Cyprinidae), walking catfish, gouramis (Anabantidae), and milkfish
(Chanidae). The Ganges river dolphin— or susu (Platanista
gangetica), a nearly sightless cetacean with highly developed sonar
capabilities—can be found throughout the Ganges-Brahmaputra
basin, but it is considered endangered because of encroaching
human activity. Many varieties of birds are found, such as mynah
birds, parrots, crows, kites, partridges, and fowls. In winter, ducks
and snipes migrate south across the high Himalayas, settling in
large numbers in water-covered areas.

Economy of the Ganges River

Irrigation

Use of the Ganges water for irrigation, either when the river is in
flood or by means of gravity canals, has been common since ancient
times. Such irrigation is described in scriptures and mythological
books written more than 2,000 years ago. Megatheres, a Greek
historian and ambassador who was in India, recorded the use of
irrigation in the 4th century BCE. Irrigation was highly developed
during the period of Muslim rule from the 12th century onward, and
the Mughal kings later constructed several canals. The canal system
was further extended by the British.

The cultivated area of the Ganges valley in Uttar

Pradesh and Bihar benefits from a system of irrigation canals that
has increased the production of such cash crops as sugarcane,
cotton, and oilseeds. The older canals are mainly in the
GangesYamuna Doab (doab meaning “land between two rivers”).
The Upper Ganga Canal, which begins at Hardiwar, and its
branches have a combined length of 5,950 miles (9,575 km). The
Lower Ganga Canal, extending 5,120 miles (8,240 km) with its
branches, begins at Naraura. The Sarda Canal irrigates land near
Ayodhya, in Uttar Pradesh.

Higher lands at the northern edge of the plain are difficult to irrigate
by canal, and groundwater must be pumped to the surface. Large
areas in Uttar Pradesh and in Bihar are also irrigated by channels
running from hand-dug wells.The Ganges-Kabadak scheme in
Bangladesh, largely an irrigation plan, covers parts of the districts
of Khulna, Jessore, and Kushtia that lie within the part of the delta
where silt and overgrowth choke the slowly flowing rivers.
The system of irrigation is based on both gravity canals and
electrically powered lifting devices.
Pollution

The pollution of the Ganges is a huge challenge. It has already shown

its adverse impact on the environment, ecosystem, and animal and
human health. About 40 percent of India’s population across 11 states
is dependent on the river for its water, but unfortunately the water is
severely polluted with industrial contaminants and human waste.

Causes of Pollution

1. Industrial Waste – There are a large number of industries

on the bank of the Ganges in cities like Patna, Kanpur,
Varanasi and Allahabad. Numerous tanneries,
slaughterhouses, textile miles, hospitals, chemical plants and
distilleries dump untreated wastes into the river resulting in
polluting the river. Out of the total volume of effluent reaching
the river, twelve percent is contributed by the industries.
2. Human Waste – The Ganges flows through 52 cities and
48 towns. The domestic water used by the population in these
cities and towns adds to the pollution of the river.
3. Religious Traditions – More than 70 million people bathe
in the Ganges to during the festive season. Food, leaves,
flowers, diyas and other wastes are left in the Ganges that
adds to its pollution. According to Hindu tradition, if a
deceased person is cremated on the banks of the Ganges
then that would bring instant salvation. This results in
thousands of bodies being cremated on the banks of the river
every year, many of which are only half-burnt, thus, adding to
the pollution.

Actions Taken To Clean The Ganges

• Over the years, several programmes have been launched and

steps taken to clean the river but these actions hardly had any
impact of the pollution levels.
 • On 14th January 1986, the then Prime Minister Rajeev Gandhi,
launched The Ganges Action Plan (GAP). The primary objective
of GAP consists of improving the quality of water by diversion,
treatment and interception of domestic sewage. This model was
extended by the Government of India with various modifications
through National River Action Plan (NRAP).
• On 20th February 2009, the Central Government established
National River Ganga Basin Authority (NRGBA) under Sec 3 of
the Environment Protection Act 1986. The Ganges was declared
as the ‘National River of India,’ under this. The World Bank
approved $1 billion funds for the NRGBA in 2011.
• The Supreme Court has also been doing its bit by directing the
government and concerned authorities to take appropriate action
towards relocation and closure of industries that cause pollution
by dumping waste. The stretch between Gaumukhi and
Uttarkashi was declared as an Eco-sensitive zone by the
government in 2010.
• Namami Ganges Programme – An integrated Ganges
development project named, ‘Namami Gange’ was announced
by the government of India on 10th July 2014. It included shutting
down of 48 industries on the banks of the Ganges.

Function and Power of NGRBA

National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) has started the

Mission Clean Ganga with a changed and comprehensive approach
to champion the challenges posed to Ganga through four different
sectors, namely, of wastewater management, solid waste
management, industrial pollution and river front development.

NGRBA has been established through the Gazette notification of the

Government of India (Extraordinary) No. 328 dated February 20, 2009
issued at New Delhi with the objectives of (a) ensuring effective
abatement of pollution and conservation of the river Ganga by
adopting a river basin approach to promote inter-sectoral coordination
for comprehensive planning and management; and (b) maintaining
environmental flows in the river Ganga with the aim of ensuring water
quality and environmentally sustainable development.

NGRBA is mandated to take up regulatory and developmental

functions with sustainability needs for effective abatement of pollution
and conservation of the river Ganga by adopting a river basin
approach for comprehensive planning and management. The Ministry
of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation
(MoWR, RD & GR) is the nodal Ministry for the NGRBA. The authority
is chaired by the Prime Minister and has as its members the Union
Ministers concerned, the Chief Ministers of the States through which
Ganga flows, viz., Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and
West Bengal, among others. This initiative is expected to rejuvenate
the collective efforts of the Centre and the States for cleaning the river.

NGRBA functions include development of a Ganga River Basin

Management Plan, regulation of activities aimed at prevention,
control and abatement of pollution, to maintain water quality and to
take measures relevant to the river ecology in the Ganga basin
states. It is mandated to ensure the maintenance of minimum
ecological flows in the river Ganga and abate pollution through
planning, financing and execution of programmes including that of –

1) Augmentation of Sewerage Infrastructure

2) Catchment Area Treatment 3) Protection of
Flood Plains
4) Creating Public Awareness

NGRBA has been mandated as a planning, financing, monitoring

and coordinating authority for strengthening the collective efforts of
the Central and State governments for effective abatement of
pollution and conservation of river Ganga so as to ensure that by the
year 2020 no untreated municipal sewage or industrial effluent will
flow into the river Ganga.

The NGRBA is fully operational and is also supported by the

state level State Ganga River Conservation Authorities (SGRCAs) in
five Ganga basin States which are chaired by the Chief Ministers of
the respective States. Under NGRBA programme, projects worth Rs.
4607.82 crore have been sanctioned up to 31st March 2014.
Powers & Functions

NGRBA has the power, combined with regulatory and developmental

functions, to take all such measures and discharge functions as it
deems necessary or expedient for effective abatement of pollution
and conservation of the river Ganga in keeping with sustainable
development needs. Such measures include following matters,
namely:-

a) Development of river basin management plan and regulation of

activities aimed at prevention, control and abatement of pollution in
the river Ganga to maintain its water quality, and to take such other
measures relevant to river ecology and management in the Ganga
Basin States.
b) Maintenance of minimum ecological flows in the river Ganga
with the aim of ensuring water quality and environmentally
sustainable development.
c) Measures necessary for planning, financing and execution of
programmes for abatement of pollution in the river Ganga including
augmentation of sewerage infrastructure, catchment area treatment,
protection of flood plains, creating public awareness and such other
measures for promoting environmentally sustainable river
conservation.
d) Collection, analysis and dissemination of information relating to
environmental pollution in the river Ganga.
e) Investigations and research regarding problems of
environmental pollution and conservation of the river Ganga.
f) Creation of special purpose vehicles, as appropriate, for
implementation of works vested with the Authority.
g) Promotion of water conservation practices including recycling
and reuse, rain water harvesting, and decentralised sewage
treatment systems.
h) Monitoring and review of the implementation of various
programmes or activities taken up for prevention, control and
abatement of pollution in the river Ganga, and
i) Issuance of directions under section 5 of the Environment
(Protection) Act 1986 (29 of 1986) for the purpose of exercising and
performing all or any of the above functions and to take such other
measures as the Authority deems necessary or expedient for
achievement of its objectives.
f) The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 for the purpose of
exercising and performing these functions and for achievement of its
objectives.

Quick Facts About The Ganges

• The Ganges travels through two countries – India and

Bangladesh
• The main tributaries of the Ganges are Gomti, Tamsa,
Ramganga, Punpun, Mahanada, Ghaghara, Yamuna, Burhi
Gandak, Son, Gandaki and Koshi.
• The States through which the Ganges flows include Uttarlkhand,
Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal.
• Some of the important cities through which the Ganges pass
include, Varanasi, Munger, Ghazipur, Ballia, Bhagalpur, Buxar,
Patna, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Kanpur, Allahabad, Farrukhabad
and Jajmau.
• The watershed are of the Ganges is around 416,990 square
miles.
• Global Warming and other climate changes have caused the
river to become shallower in some areas.
• The largest delta in the world, ‘The Sundarban delta,’ is formed
at the mouth of river Ganges.
• The Ganges is regarded as the fifth most polluted river across
the globe.
• The pollution in the Ganga River is a threat to approximately 140
fish species, 90 amphibian species and to the human population
who are dependent on the river for water.
• There are a number of species of birds that are only found in
India and they rely on the Ganges River for their survival.
• The amount of chemicals, other dangerous bacteria and toxics
in the river are nearly 3000 times over the limit that has been
suggested as safe by the WHO.
• The amount of pure Ganges water in Varanasi is only one
percent.
• The Ganges water seen after Haridwar is not the actual Ganges
as the original water of the river is brought out in Narora and
Bhimgoda. The water that flows afterwards is the ground water,
the water from contributing rivers and sewage.
• Approximately 12 percent of the diseases in UP are a result of
the polluted water of the Ganga.
• The Ganges River System is fed from a variety of sources
including July-September monsoon rains, cyclones and Gangotri
Glacier in the Himalayas.
• Research shows that the Ganges is capable of decomposing
organic waste twenty-five times faster than any other rivers
across the globe.
• Historically, the Ganges has played a pivotal role in many
imperial and provincial cities, including Kannuaj, Kolkatta,
Munger, Baharampur, Kara, Kampilya, Pataliputra, Patna, Kara,
Murshidabad and Kashi.
• There is something in the water of the river that prevents
mosquitoes from breeding. When this water is added to other
water, it prevents mosquitoes from breeding there as well.
• Studies have also shown that the Ganges is shifting its course.
Since 1990, the river has shifted 2.5kms in Bihar.
• Cholera bacterium cannot survive in the Ganges River for more
than three hours as stated by a test that was conducted in the
late 1800s.
• The sharks and dolphins in the Ganges River are both
endangered due to the massive pollution.
Case Study:

• Location: Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

• Key Issues:

Industrial Pollution: Over 4,600 industries are situated along the

riverbanks, and many discharge their waste directly into the Ganges
.This includes harmful chemicals and heavy metals that can be toxic
to aquatic life and humans.
Sewage Disposal: A staggering 75% of the river’s pollution load
comes from untreated sewage. This contributes to diseases in
humans and eutrophication, a process that depletes oxygen in the
water, harming fish and other aquatic organisms.
Cultural Impact: Religious and cultural practices, while central to the
city’s identity, contribute to the organic waste in the river,
exacerbating the pollution problem.

Affected Species: The river’s biodiversity, including the endangered

Gangetic dolphin, suffers due to the toxic pollutants in the water.
These dolphins are an indicator species for the health of the river
ecosystem, and their decline signals a broader environmental crisis.

• Local Efforts: The ‘Namami Gange Programme’ represents a

holistic approach, integrating multiple government initiatives to
clean and protect the river.
Analysis: The Ganges River’s pollution is a major concern. It affects
millions of people who use the river for drinking, bathing, and
farming. The dirty water leads to health problems and harms the fish
and plants. In the past, efforts to clean the river, like the Ganga
Action Plan, were not successful. They didn’t have enough support
and didn’t use the best methods.

Now, the Namami Gange Programme is trying to change this. It’s a

big plan that includes many different ways to clean and protect the
river. This includes building places to treat sewage so it doesn’t go
into the river, stopping factories from dumping waste, and teaching
people about why a clean river is important.

But cleaning the Ganges is not easy. It needs everyone to work

together—government, businesses, and people who live by the river.
It also needs strong rules that everyone follows. The plan will only
work if it’s done right, with good equipment and regular checks to
make sure the river is getting cleaner.

Solutions:
To address the pollution of the Ganges, several key solutions can be
implemented:

• Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD): Industries along the Ganges

should adopt ZLD systems. This means they would clean and reuse
all their wastewater, so nothing pollutes the river.

• Sewage Treatment Upgrades: Build more sewage treatment

plants with the latest technology. This will help clean the water
before it goes back into the river. • Better Farming: Teach farmers to
use less water and chemicals. This will help stop harmful runoff from
entering the river.
• Green Rituals: Encourage people to use things that don’t harm
the environment for their religious offerings. This can include
materials that break down naturally without polluting the water.
Conclusion: The Ganges is not just a river in India; it is a symbol of
culture, a mainstay for the economy, and a precious natural
resource. It holds a special place in the hearts and lives of millions.
This case study has shown the critical state of the Ganges due to
pollution and the urgent need for us to work together to find new and
effective ways to protect it. By taking action now, we can make sure
the Ganges remains a source of life, culture, and natural beauty for
many generations to come.

References:

• Studies on Industrial Pollution: These provide insights into the

types of pollution industries cause and how we can stop them from
harming the river.

• Government Reports: These offer updates on what the Namami

Gange Programme is doing and the challenges it faces.
• Independent Research: These give information on the health of
the river’s water and the life it supports.