Ganges River (2,525km)
One of the most sacred rivers to Hindus
Ranked sixth on the list of top plastic polluting rivers
It’s a lifeline to the 400 million people who live close to it
Pollution: How & Who
While the water is used for bathing, drinking, and cooking, the river is also a dumping ground for sewage and industrial waste from the many cities and factories along its course. Famously, Hindu devotees dispose of corpses after cremation along the river’s banks, with religious offerings wrapped in non-biodegradable plastics
Effects of Pollution
According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, people staying along the Ganges in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Bengal are more prone to cancer than anywhere else in India. Gallbladder cancer cases along the Ganges are the second highest in the world, with prostate cancer cases the highest in India. Aquatic life found here comprise more than 140 fish species and 90 amphibian species, including the Ganges river dolphin (Platanista gangetica gangetica), which is listed as “Endangered” by the IUCN. Only about 2,000 individuals exist in the water catchment of the Ganges and Brahmaputra river systems, according to a recent study led by Wwfindia. The Ganges shark (Glyphis gangeticus), which is listed as “Critically Endangered” on the IUCN Red List, is found in various rivers including the Ganges. Sightings are incredibly rare: Following a sighting in 2006, a whole decade passed before another individual was found in 2016 – at Mumbai fish market