LUCKNOW: Depriving the holy river of its legendary purity, most of what flows in the Ganga is human excreta. Last five years’ figures for the river compiled by the UP Pollution Control Board show efforts made by Centre and state government have proved futile in reducing the river’s level of pollution in Uttar Pradesh . The content of total coliform, bacteria found in faeces, animal droppings and agriculture run-off, has increased dangerously in the river water.

Notably, in the last five years, crores of rupees have been released for the cause of saving Ganga, an exclusive ministry has been created and the NGT ( Nataional Green Tribunal ) has passed several strict orders against those polluting the river but efforts have failed. Kada Ghat in Kaushambi has reported highest increase in pollution in terms of content of total coliform (TC) in Ganga from 2012 to 2016. The river water is highly unfit for drinking without conventional treatment and disinfection and also for outdoor bathing, said the report.

As per monitoring standard followed by the UPPCB, the most probable number (MPN) for the bacteria in 100ml water should be not more than 5,000. But in Ganga water at Kada Ghat, the annual average value recorded for TC for 2016 was 41,167, a sharp increase from 4,958 in 2012. Kada Ghat is where, apart from bathing and washing, bodies are burnt and disposed of half-burnt or even left not burnt.

Sources blame burning dead bodies and disposing half-burnt and unburnt bodies in the river as major reason for the rise in the number of harmful bacteria in the river water. “All this cannot be controlled forcefully as it might cause a backlash from various communities,” said sources.

At Kada Ghat, TC was 22,167 MPN/100ml in 2013; 31,833 MPN/100ml in 2014 and 32,583 MPN/100ml in 2015, an increase with every passing year. Figures show Ganga stretch being most polluted in Kanpur, followed by Allahabad.

River stretch at the downstream in all bigger cities is highly polluted. “Reason being that drainage and sewage are both flowing into the river,” said sources.

Content of coliform bacteria was 1.1 lakh MPN/100ml water at Kanpur in 2012 and though the value has come down to 69,583 MPN/100ml, it remains the highest. Though the value reduced in 2013 and 2014 to 72,917 MPN/100ml and 51,500MPN/100ml, respectively, it has been on the rise again, reaching 56,500 MPN/100ml in 2015.

Ganga has high content of TC at Rasoolabad Ghat and Sangam in Allahabad, downstream of Varanasi and downstream of Ghazipur. At Sangam, average value for TC for 2016 was 42,833 MPN/100ml, which makes the water most unfit for bathing. Standard for bathing water is only 500 or less TC present per mililitre of water.

A total coliform bacteria includes faecal coliform and other coliform bacteria found in soil. Faecal coliform is present in intestines of humans and warm blooded animals. It’s source is bodily waste, animal droppings, agricultural run-off and sewage. Faecal coliform in faecal material is most dangerous of all called E.coli, which can pollute water and cause serious illness. Drinking water infected with E. coli can lead to nausea, intestinal disorders, diarrhoea and even death.

