The drop in human activities during the lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19 has caused the water of the Ganga to become clean enough to drink. According to research conducted by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee, the water in the Ganga from Devprayag to Har ki Paidi in Haridwar is pure and can be drunk.
IIT Kanpur had been directed to conduct research under National Mission for Clean Ganga. The institute authorised IIT Roorkee’s environmental engineering department to conduct research on Ganga water from Devprayag to Haridwar. Department head Absar Ahmed Kazmi is supervising the research headed by research scientist A Rajpal.
Rajpal said that the water quality in the Ganga has improved during the lockdown period and meets most of the parameters of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for drinking purpose. The quality test based on the analytical parameters revealed that the water quality falls under class A criteria of CPCB. River water samples were collected from Devprayag to Haridwar (Har ki Paidi). The tests ascertained nil MPN/100ml of fecal coliform, <3mg/L biological oxygen demand and <50 mg/L total dissolved solids which is considerably less than on normal days before the lockdown. The water was tested on 28 parametres of the BIS.
Uttarakhand Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board (UEPPCB) Roorkee regional officer
RK Kathait said that human intervention dropped to nil during the lockdown while 22 drains emptying into the Ganga had also been taped. These factors had caused a considerable improvement in the water quality. The Ganga water from Har ki Paidi to Rishikul and from Rishikul to Ajitpur is fit for drinking though chlorination is a must because of bacteria on the soil surface.
Ganga Sabha general secretary Tanmay Vashistha said that those visiting Haridwar for pilgrimage should not allow the Ganga to be contaminated. The government should take effective steps to tackle industrial waste as there are measures to remove solid waste though chemical waste from industries is more damaging.