IITR-Lko team collects Ganga water sample in Prayagraj
Ganga water samples have also been collected from Kanpur, Varanasi for testing at request of UPPCB
PRAYAGRAJ: A team from Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (IITR), Lucknow collected water samples of the Ganga from various ghats of Sangam city, on Monday. The team from IITR has collected river water samples from different locations in Kanpur and Varanasi also.
“The Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) requested us to collect the samples from various locations along the river and analyse the specimens against different parameters which throw light on the quality of water in any river”, said chief scientist of CSIR-IITR, Lucknow, KC Khulbe.
“Now that the samples have been collected by our team members, we would be finding out the results in a month,” he added. After reaching Prayagraj, the team collected samples from Shringverpur ghat, one of the sites where bodies were buried on the banks. After taking water samples from the ghat, the team of scientists reached the Phaphamau ghat. They took sample of water of the Ganga from around the sites where bodies were buried on the edge. The team members were wearing PPE kits for their own safety during the exercise.
Although the team members, who collected the water samples refused to comment on the reason for collection of the river water samples, but experts who have worked in the field of ground water and UP Pollution Control Board claim that the water is being tested in the backdrop of the mass burial points spotted besides the banks.
“Although there are bodies buried at Phaphamau and Shringverpur ghats but there is no need to panic as Ganga water is still fine. However, analysis of Ganga water samples is a welcome step, and the result would further make the picture clear” said executive engineer, irrigation department, SK Singh.
Former regional officer of UP Pollution Control Board, Mohd Sikander said that groundwater was found on the banks near Ganga just below two feet. If
the samples have been collected by our team members, we would be finding out the results in a month KC KHULBE, chief scientist of CSIR-IITR, Lucknow
bodies are buried on the river edge, the groundwater may get infected, and this infected groundwater could get mixed with the flow of the Ganga and can pollute it too.
Officer in-charge of UP Pollution Control Board (UPPCB), Prayagraj Pradeep Vishwakarma said, “The samples have been collected to check the quality of water of the river and I can comment only after getting the final results”.