International Journal of Research ISSN NO: 2236-6124

Assessment of Water Quality of Ganga River -

Dr. Raghavendra Prakash Dubedi

Head of Department (HoD) Deptt. of Chemistry, Government Degree College Churiyala(Haridwar)-

Abstract

In present research paper, an effort have been made to analyze the water of Ganga river is drinkable, bathable or irrigable. According to religious beliefs, the water of Ganga is known as Ganga-Jal or Devine Liquid or Brahma Dravya. When there is such great belief, it must be drinkable, bathable and irrigable. In this paper, I am going to discuss, how Ganga water is useful for human life . Ganga water contain many type of chemicals and bacteria, they don’t let it be worth drinking. But there is also a virus(Bactereophase) that named like bacteria, contributes to the purity of Ganga water by killing the Coliform bacteria. Apart from there, Dead bodies , the Ashes of Burnt bodies, Industrial effluents and Urban sewage dumped in the Ganga River. Dirty Water and excreta is also going into the Ganga River from towns on its way, Washermen’s are washing clothes and making the Ganga Dirty washing sites are also the sources of pollution.

Keywords: Water Pollution, Ganga-Jal, Water Quality, River Ganga

1. Introduction

The Ganga also referred to as the . The Quality of Water is very important aspect for mankind because it is directly linked with human welfare. Before understanding the quality of water, we need to know about the Ganga-history . Ganga River arises from glacier approx 4100 meters above the sea level in the Garhwal under the name Bhagirathi. Down the Himalayas, the river streams of Mandakini and Alaknanda meet at the place called . It is below this confluence that the river gets it name Ganga. The Ganga runs its course of over 2526 km. from Gangotri in the Himalayas to Ganga Sagar in the way of Bengal. Approximately 25 km from , Haridwar has more of a significance for religious pilgrims, who come here to cremate their deceased, and wash away their sins by bathing in the holy water of the Ganga. The sheer number of people that flock here every day is phenomenal and gives the place a chaotic yet reverent feel. The head waters of Bhagirathi are formed at () at the foot of the and khatling glaciers in the Garhwal Himalayas. These two sacred rivers join to form the Ganga (Ganges) in Devprayag. Gangotri is called the origin of River Ganga and seat of the Goddess Ganga. Gangotri is one of the 4 sites in the char Dham circuit, other being , and . The Gangotri glacier is located in of Uttarakhand. The terminus of the Gangotri glacier is said to resemble a Cow’s mouth, and the place is called GOMUKH. The route of Ganges is given in Figure as under [1].

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2.Methods

Water sampling was done at randomly located different Ghats of Haridwar (Uttarakhand). Water testing was done by dividing into several groups like Physical, Chemical and Biological Parameters. Physical Indicators like: Colour of Water, Odour of Water, Taste of Water, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and Turbidity are recorded. Chemical Indicators like: Chemicals, Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Dissolved Metals – Metalloids, pH of water and Total Hardness (TH) are estimated. Biological indicators are the Bacteriological tests are examined. Colorimetric Method is used to identify the colour of water. Organoleptic Method is used to identify the odour and taste of water. Gravimetric Method is used to determine the TDS. Biological Oxygen Demand is the amount of oxygen required by the phytoplankton’s of polluted water body to complete decomposition of organic wastes in one liter of polluted water is determined. pH of water can be easily checked by Universal Indicator. AAS is used

to determine the total hardness in terms of CaCO3. Filtration Method is used to identify the bacteria in water samples.

3. Result and Discussion

I tried to find out through this research paper, whether the water of Ganges is worth drinking or not, for this we’ve to understand the standards of drinkable water. Before coming to any conclusion, other reports’ have to be discussed. Drinking water quality standards describes the quality parameters set for drinking water . Despite the truth that every human on this planet needs drinking water to survive and that water may contain many harmful constituents,

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there are no universally recognized and accepted international standards for drinking water [2]. Even standards do exist, and are applied; the permitted concentration of individual constituents may vary by one set of standards to another. The nature and form of drinking- water standards may vary among countries and regions. There is no single approach that is universally applicable. It is essential in the development and implementation of standards that the current and planned legislation relating to water, health and local government are taken into account and that the capacity to develop and implement regulations is assessed. Approaches that may work in one country or region will not necessarily transfer to other countries or regions. It is essential that each country review its needs and capacities in developing a regulatory framework [3].

Some people believe that, a dip in the Ganga may wash away your sins but the river’s water is also likely to make you sick. The Central Pollution Control Board’s reply to an RTI query put up by TOI has said that the water of the river along Haridwar is not even fit for bathing. The CPCB has said that water in fails almost all parameters of safety. According to official sources, nearly 50,000-1 lakh devotees bathe at the over 20 Ghats of Haridwar every day. Tests were done at 11 locations in Uttarakhand, from Gangotri to Haridwar, a distance of 294km along the river. The RTI filed sought details of water quality and locations from which samples are collected. RM Bhardwaj, senior scientist of the CPCB, stated that four main indicators of river water quality were taken into account when examining the 296 km stretch. These included temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), biological oxygen demand (BOD) and coli-form (bacteria). Clinical tests of water samples showed high levels of BOD, coliform and other toxic materials around Haridwar district. According to CPCB norms, BOD levels should be less than 3 mg per liter for bathing purposes. But the levels go up to 6.4 mg per litre in the river's water. Presence of high-level coliform further threw light on the severity of water pollution in Haridwar. The total coliform value here is between 90 MPN (Most Probable Number) per 100 ml to 1,600 MPN per 100 ml. According to the CPCB report, the coliform values should be 500 MPN/100ml or less for bathing purposes. Moreover, the acceptable limit for DO is 5 mg per litre or more but in Haridwar it is 4 mg to 10.6 mg per litre. Noted environmentalist Anil Joshi said, “Haridwar has emerged as an industrial and tourist hub and unless Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) are installed and water discharge quality is monitored strictly, the Ghats will continue to remain polluted.”[4].

The most important heavy metals from the point of view of water pollution are Zn, As, Cu, Pb, Cd, Hg, Ni, and Cr[5]. Some of these metals (e.g. Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Zn) are required as nutrients in trace amount for life processes in plants and microorganisms but become toxic at higher concentrations (given below in Table). Other such as Pb, Cr, and Cd has no known biological function, but are toxic elements [6], [7], [8], [9]. These heavy metals are not readily degradable in nature and accumulate in the animal as well as human bodies to a very high toxic amount leading to undesirable effects beyond a certain limit [10], [11], [12]. The fatal diseases such as eyelid edema, nephritis, renal tumor, extensive lesions in the kidneys, anuria, nasal mucous membranes and pharynx congestion, increase blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, cancer, headache and malfunctions of different systems of the body caused by heavy metals have been reported by several authors [13], [14], [15], [16]. They are also known to interfere with synthesis and metabolism of the hormones [17].

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Table : Permissible limits of heavy metals in drinking water [5].

Heavy metal Permissible limit WHO USEPA ISI CPCB ICMR Iron (mg/l) 0.1 – 0.3 1.0 1.0 Copper (mg/l) 1.0 1.3 0.05 1.5 1.5 Mercury (mg/l) 0.001 0.002 0.001 No relaxation 0.001 Cadmium (mg/l) 0.005 0.005 0.01 No relaxation 0.01 Arsenic (mg/l) 0.05 0.05 0.05 No relaxation 0.05 Lead (mg/l) 0.05 – 0.10 No relaxation 0.05 Zinc (mg/l) 5.0 – 5.0 15.0 0.10 Chromium (mg/l) 0.1 – 0.05 No relaxation – WHO: World Health Organization, USEPA: United States Environmental Protection Agency, ISI: Indian Standard Institution, CPCB: Central Pollution Control Board and ICMR: Indian Council of Medical Research [18]

Let’s talk about the Physical Indicators of the Ganges Water. Yellow colour in water is mostly caused by small amounts of rust. In fact there are small amounts of iron and oxygen in our water systems and when they combine show yellow tinge in our water. Odor of water of Ganges river is due to the environmental contaminants, organisms, bacteria and chemicals present in the water. Despite the presence of smell, Ganges water have magical properties that ensure that its water don’t spoil even when stored for years that’s why River Ganga is a symbol of faith, hope, culture and sanity, as well as a source of livelihood for millions since time immemorial. The taste of Ganga water is somehow other normal waters but the different in properties. The TDS of Ganga-Jal is less than the TDS of RO/Filter water and the TDS of Ordinary ground water. If the TDS is Very Low, then water is more corrosive and can leach harmful metals such as lead or copper. TSS is the dry weight of suspended particles, (like sand in water) that are not dissolve in water analyzed by filtration method . The WHO establishes that the turbidity of drinking water should not be more than 5 NTU and should ideally be below 1 NTU. Now let’s understand the chemical Indicators. Chemicals like Sulfuric Acid and chemical dyes frequently find their way into the River-water and major threat. The major industries polluting waters are identified as tanning, chemicals, fertilizers and allied processes, refineries, paper and pulp, sugar, distilleries, bleaching, dying, textiles etc. For drinking water BOD has to be less than 5 ppm (mg/L). As well as the BOD increases, water becomes polluted and will not be drinkable. Oxygen enters into the water by direct absorption from the atmosphere is known as Dissolved Oxygen (DO). The value of DO in water drop should be below 5.0 mg/L. DO is essential in river water, for the survival of fish and other aquatic organisms. Permissible limits of heavy metals (Iron, Copper, Mercury, Cadmium, Arsenic, Lead, Zinc, and Chromium) are given by WHO, USEPA, ISI, CPCB and ICMR in above Table. According to the permissible limits given by different Agencies, the condition of Ganga water is not satisfactory. In general the pH value lowers than 7 means acidic in nature and if the pH value is greater than 7 basic in nature. pH is the measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution, ranges from 1 to 14, means pH one(1) will be highly acidic and pH fourteen(14) will be highly alkaline. Normal drinking water generally has a neutral

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pH of 7. WHO reported the range of pH for drinkable water is from 6.5 to 8.5. Hardness of Water is most commonly expressed as milligrams of calcium carbonate equivalent per liter. Permanent hardness is due to the presence of chlorides, nitrates and sulphates of calcium and magnesium, which will not be precipitated by boiling. Total hardness is measured as the sum of all calcium and magnesium ions. Hardness is most commonly expressed as milligrams of calcium carbonate equivalent per liter. Hard water is not a health hazards. In fact, the National Research Council (National Academy of Sciences) states that hard drinking water generally contributes a small amount towards total calcium and magnesium human dietary needs. Finally let’s understand about the Biological Indicators. CPCB reports and UEPPCB reports are also showing the presence of Coliform bacteria in Ganges River. Ganges water regarded as safe for bathing should not contain more than 500 faecal Coliform per 100 ml. So bathing in the Ganges is only for strong hearted or those with blind faith. Physical Testing Report, Chemical Testing Report and Biological Testing Report of Ganges water are not matching with the Standard Reports of the Drinkable water. 4. Conclusion

It is concluded from above analysis that Ganga water is scientifically unfit for Direct Drinking. Water of some Ghats of Ganges is not even worth bathing, But water some Ghats is good for bathing. Ganga water is suitable for irrigation purpose. According to religious beliefs, it is also true that keeping this water in a vessel for many years does not cause any worm in it. Seeing all these , it seems that the water of the Ganges is a mysterious liquid. To maintain the recognition of Ganga River, we all have to pay special attention to its cleanliness. At least we can make an effort not to put dirt in the Ganges by our hands, nor let anyone put it in front of you.

References

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[3] Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality, Third Edition, Incorporating the first and second addenda, volume 1 Recommendations, World Health Organization(WHO)Geneva, (2008).

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[11] P.U.Singare, R.M.Mishra, M.P.Trivedi, Adv. Anal. Chem. 2, (2012) pp-14-24.

[12] P.Govind, S.Madhuri, Res. Jour. Anim. Vet. Fish Sci. 2, (2014) pp.17-23.

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