BIOLOGY PROJECT
GANGA
ACTION PLAN
REPORT
VANSHIKA GANDHI
WHERE WE ARE NOW
Today, the Ganges is considered to be the fifth-most
polluted river in the world. It can be noted that no one
in India spoke of the Ganges as polluted until the late
1970s. However, pollution has been an old and
continuous process in the river as by the time people
were finally speaking of the Ganges as polluted,
stretches of over six hundred kilometres were
essentially ecologically dead zones.
A number of initiatives have been undertaken to clean
the river but failed to deliver as desired results. After
getting elected, India's Prime minister Narendra Modi
affirmed to work in cleaning the river and controlling
pollution. Subsequently, the Namami Gange project was
announced by the government in the June 2014 budget.
An estimated Rs 2,958 Crores (US$460 million) have
been spent until July 2016 in various efforts in cleaning
up of the river.
The main causes of water pollution in the Ganga river
are the disposal of human sewage and animal waste,
increasing population density, and disposal of
industrial waste into the river.
The Ganges Action Plan (GAP) was launched by Rajiv
Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, on June 1986
with covering 25 Class I towns (6 in Uttar Pradesh, 4 in
Bihar and 15 in West Bengal); Rs 862.59 crore were
spent.
STATISTICS
PAGE 3 FUNDS ALLOCATED AND SPENT IN CLEANING GANGA IN CRS.
2011-12
2012-13
2013-14
2014-15
2015-16
2016-17
0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500
Ganga, the longest river in India has a unique position in the
INTRODUCTION
Indian psyche. Apart from geographical scale and spread, she
has played a vital role in the social, cultural, economic
and political life of the country. The socio-economic changes in
the post industrialization era have adversely affected the flow
and quality of the river water leading to pollution of the
river. In order to reduce the pollution of this river the
Government of India (GOI) has been implementing a pollution
abatement program since last 25 years.
DID YOU KNOW?
It is a revered belief that to remit sins,
one has to take a dip in river Ganga. It
further channelizes the salvation, so is
believed in Indian culture
OBJECTIVES
FAILIURE
Its main objective was to improve the water quality by
the interception, diversion and treatment of domestic
The Ganga Action Plan launched in 1986
sewage and to prevent toxic and industrial chemical
by the Government of India has not
wastes from identified polluting units from entering
achieved any success despite
the river. The other objectives of the GAP are as
expenditure of approximately 2,000
follows:Control of non-point pollution from
crore rupees. Even though the
agricultural run off, human defecation, cattle
government claims that the schemes
wallowing and the disposal of human remains in the
under the Ganga Action Plan have been
river.Research and development to conserve the biotic
successful, ground realities tell a
different story. The failure of the GAP is diversity of the river to augment its
evident but corrective action is lacking. productivity.Development of sewage treatment
technology such as Up-flow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket
GAP needs a critical examination, a (UASB) and sewage treatment through
thorough review and a complete afforestation.Rehabilitation of soft-shelled turtles for
overhaul. It has become so infamous and pollution abatement.Resource recovery options such as
stale that it needs to be done away with methane production for energy generation and use of
completely. A new plan with a fresh aquaculture for revenue generation.To act as trend
name, more real and practical setter for taking up similar action plans in other
objectives, concrete action plans is grossly polluted stretches in other rivers.The ultimate
needed to restore the health of the river
objective of the GAP is to have an approach of
Ganga. A committed, visionary, dynamic
integrated river basin management considering the
and practical man needs to be given the
various dynamic interactions between abiotic and
charge of cleaning and restoring the
biotic eco-system.
ecological health of river Ganga. Serious
and honest efforts are needed. Casual
approach and cosmetic efforts will only
worsen the condition of river Ganga.
CONCLUSION
The Ganges River is one of the most polluted
rivers in the world yet is used by 500 million
people for domestic, industrial, and
agricultural purposes. Without proper waste
management procedures, the waste generated
from inhabitants and local industries have
been thrown directly into the river, resulting in
heavily polluted waters. People are using this
contaminated water out of necessity and it is
causing many to experience gastrointestinal
diseases that can lead to death if untreated.
The pollution has caused less dissolved oxygen
to be available for aquatic life, resulting in a
decrease of some plant and animal species.
Emphasis should be put on ensuring the
treatment load matches the demands of the
area, with leeway for the inevitable growing
population. Funding must be invested in
purchasing generators that allow treatment
plants to run during the frequent power
outages. A task force of qualified scientists and
engineers must work together to train more
individuals on running and maintaining the
current systems in order to keep treatment
malfunctions to a minimum. This is a
multivariable problem with no easy solution,
however strategic action must be a priority for
the Indian government in order to improve the
lives of inhabitants and the river ecosystem.
