The Ganga is revered by millions, but the sewage and waste dumped in it is also increasing as there is no proper mechanism to treat garbage and sewage in any of the towns along the Ganga and its seven tributaries in Uttarakhand from Gaumukh to Haridwar.
Suresh Bhai of the Uttarakhand Nadi Bachao Abhiyan said that according to the pollution control board data, 70 tonnes of waste is dumped into Ganga from 17 municipal areas in the State every day. In addition to this, about 860 lakh litres of raw sewage is also being dumped into the Ganga daily from 76 towns and 17 municipal regions. According to official data, the water of the Ganga is considered to be clean enough for drinking and by the time it reaches Haridwar it remains clean enough only for bathing. After flowing out of Uttarakhand, the Ganga passes through various towns in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh where its waters are not considered clean enough for bathing.
Though this has not deterred millions of devotees from bathing in the holy river daily, the continued dumping of waste and sewage in the Ganga and its tributaries in Uttarakhand is a cause for serious concern which needs to be addressed effectively without delay.