Cleaning up the mighty Ganga

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Taxonomy

• Pollution
• River Restoration

3 Comments

1. I do not know how many corpses are burned weekly or monthly at the ghats, you mention they are "congested." This very holy practice started eons ago, when there were far fewer people. When I was there 45 years ago the chandalars explained that any human remains in the river simply fed the fish. But what is the current effect on the ecology and water quality of the river?

2. Recovery and restoration will take appreciably much longer than a "couple of weeks". William's comment is right on the money. Shutting down the constituent sources is a very good start. However, this is the point when everyone attached to this waterbody must put on their thinking caps; roll up their sleeves; and get their hands very dirty to restore a clean tributary. Strategy wise you may want to conduct a background assessment that traces back to the earliest known sources and types of pollution; estimates constituent concentrations; quantities, and quality of all pollution sources possible then project proportionate qualitative values of just what you're facing for a comprehensive restoration. Also; in my humble opinion; before undertaking disturbance to sediments and surrounding strata; you might consider pre-screening analyses for exactly what you will be handling. Best Management Practice (BMP) would be to start at or near the Ganga headwaters and remediate downstream; one section at a time until the exercise reaches the mouth of the tributary. This is just a preliminary thought for the task you are undertaking.

   
   

3. Indeed - "too simplistic". The sediments throughout the river are now polluted and this "internal source" would continue to affect the river even if external sources were "switched off". Furthermore, many contaminants have entered the food chain and so would persist long after "switching off" external sources. In some cases these contaminants will are likely to be endocrine disrupters and so affects are not limited to the current generation.

   For external sources, soils and groundwater across the catchment are also contaminated and so "switching off" point sources and even the more obvious diffuse sources would not immediately stop additional pollutants reaching the river.