‘Kashi has highest fecal bacteria in state’
PRAYAGRAJ: Despite all the efforts made during the last five years for improving condition of Ganga river under the Namami Gange, UP Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) in its latest report has once again painted a gloomy picture of the river’s health in the state. Incidentally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency Varanasi has topped the list of districts having the most polluted stretch of the river in state.
5 DISTRICTS WITH HIGHEST COUNT OF BACTERIA
As per the recent report of UPPCB published in October 2019, Ganga water in Varanasi was found to have the highest count of Fecal Coliform and Total Coliform bacteria in state, measuring at a shocking 23000 Most Probable Number (MPN)/100ML and 43000 MPN/100ML respectively. The prescribed safe limit of both the bacteria is a maximum 500 MPN/100ML of the bacteria for outdoor bathing and 50 MPN/100ML of the bacteria for drinking purpose.
The report further revealed that Kanpur had the second highest count of the twin forms of the bacteria in the state. The Fecal Coliform bacteria count in Ganga in Kanpur was measured at 21000 MPN/100ML while level of Total Coliform bacteria was recorded at 39000 MPN/100ML.
As per the UPPCB findings,
Ghazipur district had third highest count of twin bacteria with Fecal Coliform bacteria count in Ganga measured at 17000 MPN/100ML and that of Total Coliform bacteria pegged at 31000 MPN/100ML.
Mirzapur district had the fourth highest count of twin bacteria in Ganga measured at 11000 MPN/100ML of Fecal Coliform and 22000 MPN/100ML of Total Coliform bacteria while Prayagraj was found to have fifth highest count of Total Coliform bacteria pegged at 20000
MPN/100ML. However, the fifth highest count of Total Coliform bacteria at 8000 MPN/100ML in state was shared by two districts of Ghazipur and Sonbhadra.
VARANASI
Regional Officer of UPPCB, Varanasi Kalika Singh said that domestic sewage was the most prominent reason for Varanasi having the most polluted stretch of Ganga in the state. “Approximately 300 Million Liter per Day (MLD) of sewage water is generated in Varanasi of which only 206 MLD is being treated at five functional sewage treatment plants while the remaining 94 MLD untreated sewage water is dumped directly in Ganga every day. Presently, out of 30 big and small drains existing in Varanasi city, only 20 are tapped,” he informed.
According to the PCB official, one Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) in Ramna with the capacity of 50 MLD and another one in Ramnagar with the capacity of 10 MLD have yet to become operational.
KANPUR
UPPCB’s Regional Officer, Kanpur SB Franklin informed that of the total 29 drains of the city flowing into Ganga, 15 were tapped till now while the remaining 14 drains were pumping untreated sewage water in Ganga every day.
“An estimated over 300 MLD is the daily generation of sewage water in Kanpur, of which around 200 MLD is being treated at five existing STPs. Industrial effluents as well as domestic sewage water are main contributors of pollutants in Ganga,” he said.
PRAYAGRAJ
General Manager, Ganga Pollution, Prayagraj PK Agarwal said that the main reason of high level of pollution in Ganga in Prayagraj was domestic sewage generation.
“Out of 350 MLD generation of sewage water, around 300 MLD was being treated while the remaining 50 MLD sewage was dumped into Ganga every day sans any treatment. Of the total 80 big and small drains criss-crossing the length and breadth of the city, only 42 drains were being tapped by existing five STPs while the remaining 40 drains still remained untapped,” he added.
According to Agarwal, after completion of work on the three STP’s coming up in Jhunsi, Naini and Phaphamau, the untapped drains would also be connected to it.
GANGA PROTECTION AND REJUVENATION BILL 2018
Senior advocate of Allahabad High Court Arun Kumar Gupta, who was also member of the committee constituted with the purpose of reviewing final draft of Ganga Protection and
Rejuvenation Bill 2018 said that the final draft of the bill was reviewed in August 2018 and was forwarded to National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) later. “Draft of the bill was thoroughly reviewed and submitted to NMCG over a year back but the same could not be enacted into a law, which could have greatly helped save Ganga as heavy penalties were proposed in the Bill against the offenders,’ he said.
According to Gupta, had Ganga Protection and Rejuvenation Act come into force, pollutants flowing in the river could have been checked to a great extent.
He said that he had submitted an application in Allahabad High Court during Kumbh Mela 2019, listing out 83 drains of the city. Altogether 46 of these drains remained untapped during the Kumbh Mela, dumping untreated sewage water into Ganga and Yamuna rivers.
STATE OF GANGA
EXPERT SPEAK
Prof P K Mishra, head, department of chemical engineering department, IIT-BHU, said, “Industrial effluent quality has improved a lot due to strict monitoring by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) through institutes of national repute like IIT-BHU, IIT-Delhi, and IIT-Khadagpur etc.
Standardisation of the effluent treatment plants has improved quality of effluent treatment. Though things are improving, a lot of work is yet to be done.”