The document summarizes information about the Ganges River, including its religious significance in Hinduism, the cities along its banks, how it provides water to 40% of India's population, and how it has become heavily polluted in modern times due to human and industrial waste. It also discusses the objectives and phases of the Ganga Action Plan launched in 1986 to reduce pollution in the river, but which ultimately failed due to issues like inappropriate planning, lack of cooperation between levels of government, and not providing consistent electricity to run treatment facilities.

1. By
Manisha Acharya

2. • The Ganga is the largest river
in India & second greatest river
in the world with an
extraordinary religious
importance for Hindus.
• It is worshipped as the
goddess Ganga in Hinduism.
• Along its banks are some of the
world's oldest inhabited places
like Varanasi & Patna.
• It provides water to about 40%
of India's population in 11
states.
• In modern times, it is known
for being very polluted.

3. Human wastes
Municipal wastes
Causes of pollution
in the river Ganga
Industrial wastes
Haridwar dam
Dead bodies of Religious practices
human and animals

4. Ill-effects of Ganges pollution
66% incidences of waterborne/enteric
disease occur including acute
gastrointestinal disease, cholera,
dysentery, hepatitis-A, and typhoid
High level of Coliform bacteria in
the Ganges make its unfit for
agricultural use let alone drinking
and bathing.

5. Ill-effects of Ganges pollution
A study conducted by the National Cancer
Registry Programme (NCRP) in 2012,
suggested that "those living along its banks
in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Bengal are more
prone to cancer than anywhere else in the
country”
The survey indicated that gallbladder cancer
cases along the river course are the second
highest in the world and prostate cancer
highest in the country.
The Ganges River dolphin is one of few
species of fresh water dolphins in the world.
Hydroelectric and irrigation dams along the
Ganges that prevents the dolphins from
traveling up and down the river is the main
reason for their reducing population.

6. Ganga Action Plan
The Ganga Action Plan or GAP
was a program launched by Rajiv
Gandhi in April 1986 in order to
reduce the pollution load on the
river. It also included the
tributaries of the Ganges namely
Yamuna, Gomti, Damodar and
Mahanada.

7. Objectives of the GAP
Main objective
1. Pollution abatement, to improve the
water quality by Interception, diversion
and treatment of domestic sewage and
present toxic and industrial chemical
wastes entering in to the river.
Other objectives
2. Control of non-point pollution from
agricultural run off, human defecation,
cattle wallowing and throwing of unburnt
and half burnt bodies into the river.
3. Research and Development to conserve
the biotic, diversity of the river to
augment its productivity.

8. 4. New technology of sewage treatment
like Up-flow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB)
and sewage treatment through afforestation has
been successfully developed.
5. Rehabilitation of soft-shelled turtles for
pollution abatement of river have been
demonstrated and found useful.
6. To act as trend setter for taking up similar
action plans in other grossly polluted
stretches in other rivers.
7.The ultimate objective of the GAP is to have
an approach of integrated river basin management
considering the various dynamic inter-actions
between abiotic and biotic eco-system

9. Phases of the GAP
Phase – I Phase – II
Phase – I, launched in June 1985 was the first Since GAP Phase – I did not cover the pollution
attempt of Government to clean the river Ganga. load of Ganga fully, GAP Phase – II was
To accomplish this task a total of 2061 projects approved from 1993 on wards. It included the
of pollution abatement covering 25 towns in Gomti Action Plan, Yamuna Action Plan and
3 states – UP, Bihar & West Bengal were Damodar Action Plan and Mahanada Action
sanctioned at a cost of Rs. 462 crores. Plan

10. The GAP was not able to achieve its
objectives, despite a total expenditure
of Rs 901.71 crore over a period of 15
years.
Reasons for failure:
Inappropriate Environmental Planning.
Insignificant cooperation between Central,
State and Local Government bodies.
Lack of local technical expert committees for
monitoring the work.
Improper mass awareness and involvement
of Ganga users in different projects.
Least political dedication and vision to save Ganga
U.P. and Bihar were not able to provide
uninterrupted electricity for running the facilities.