INDIAN RIVERS POLLUTION: CRITICAL ANALYSIS GANGA ACTION PLAN
In this world major civilizations flourished on the banks of some river or the other. For survival of human beings water remained essential constituent hence rivers were preferred for settling down and cities were build near rivers. Source of fresh water were rivers. For future generations to understand the value of fresh water, persons started worshipping rivers. These rivers in India are still considered sacred. Due to industrial growth in cities and other places the water getting polluted. The rise in population and growth of cities polluted more rivers. The domestic (municipal) waste and industrial effluents dumped in rivers. Rivers also got polluted due to release of toxic materials and due to this aquatic life of these rivers is affected. In India probably many GOI Departments dealing with the issue of reducing the river pollution are not having any significant effect. The National River Conservation Authority (NRCA) headed by Prime Minister met not many times since its inception in 1985. In 1985 under the Prime Ministership the Ministry of Environment and Forests established the Central Ganga Authority (CGA). Ganga Action Plan (GAP) was made to follow the policies of CGA. GAP was the first step for the NRCP. Lateron NRCP spread its activity and included more than 26 rivers.
Ganga today is more polluted than when GAP was first initiated by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1986. The State of Uttar Pradesh alone is responsible for over 50% of the pollutants entering the river along its entire journey to sea. Ganga river starts contaminating at Rishikesh as it enters the plane. Water stinks at Kanpur even during the monsoon when the river is flooded. Since the launching of GAP things have more deteriorated a big way in Kanpur. The amount of filth along and in the river still continues unabated. Refuse including polybags are thrown near river sides. In this way river becomes the dumping site of garbage. In the lean period (mainly summer) water becomes so less that it is possible for persons and animals to walk on muddy and blackish water of the river. At Allahabad today nearly 50 drains of carrying sewage is passed to Ganga and Yamuna rivers while before the GAP came into existence in the year 1986, there were only 13 drains.
Every time before any festival (mela) Kumbha, Ardh-Kumbha and Magh Mela it is thought to clean the river pollution, every time saints and sadhus protest for cleaning the river and they even threaten to boycott the ritual bathings. Due to too much pollution in Ganga river it has become risky to take bath in Varanasi Ghats. River water has too much high faecal coliform count. The river Ganga at Varanasi is also fed by other two river tributaries Assi and Varuna and these two rivers are sewage drains of bigger size.
The river Ganga flows in 9 States in India. The Ganga river of 2525 km length supports 29 bigger cities, 23 middle class cities and 48 towns and as well as thousands of villages.
During the passage of Ganga all the sewage, industrial effluent both solid and liquid and a lot of animals and human corpses are dumped in the river.
The blame for the failure of Ganga Action Plan has many explanations. Staff of GAP has changed in last more than two decades without much vision and commitment. Although problems associated with pollution of Ganga were identified by due monitoring and reviewing but outcomes were not property enforced. The main objective of GAP was to improve the water quality of Ganga by reducing the pollution load earlier than when it reaches to flowing river.
In a Monitoring Committee meeting under the Chairmanship of Prof. MGK Menon, then Member, Planning Commission the objective was to restore the river water quality to the ‘Bathing Class’ standard having BOD as
3mg/l max, DO as 5mg/l min, total coliform MPN (most probable number) 10,000/ 100ml and Faecal Coli form as MPN 2,500/ 100 ml.
(Source:- Report of the Committee constituted to recommend measures for improvement of GAP, March 1999, MOE & F)
The river Ganga according to the best use has been classified by CPCB.
1. From origin to Hardwar Class A
2. From Hardwar to Confluence with Roopnarayan in Bengal Delta Class B
3. From Roopnarayan Confluence to the Haldi Confluence Class D
4. From Haldi Confluence to Bay of Bengal Saline Stretch
It is important that GAP must ensure that the river water quality is brought upto the standards as stipulated by CPCB. Ganga Action plan was an excellent move. Sincere and honest persons conceived and conceptualized the idea of GAP however sincere implementation has not been done GAP became one of the Government project and enthusiasm reduced with passage of time. The merger of GAP with NRCP took in 1996 and it reduced the importance of GAP. GAP is no longer an exclusive river cleaning programme. It is not known in future for cleaning Ganga how many phases and years would be needed.
Government should chalk out a programme of comprehensive survey of Ganga to identify and quantify the pollution sources. The survey should also identify and quantify the communities and economic activities associated with Ganga. Government should issue a White Paper on the Status of Ganga and GAP. Representatives of Government should constitute an Independent Committee by including Civil Society Members. The Committee should be authorized for an access to Government documents, for visit GAP towns and as well as making subcommittees for doing surveys independently. This White Paper would provide a base to evolve a ‘VISION FOR GANGA’.
Thanks to the Mr. Rakesh K Jaiswal for this article written on the topic ‘Ganga Action Plan’ – A critical analysis’ on May 28, 2007.
Prof V K Srivastava
President Message 1
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