AVIRALATA & NIRMALATA OF RIVER GANGA

River Ganga is the basis of life and principle source of socio-economic, cultural, religious and environmental development of its highly productive and densely populated basin. During past a few decades, the continuous decrease in the flow of water has fragmented the river and imposed serious threat to river Ganga ecosystem besides its pollution. The Nirmalata (pollution free water) of Ganga water is dependent on its Aviralata (free flow of water) henceforth, River Ganga Conservation Programme (RGCP) should focus on the following:

1. HOLISTIC ECOLOGICAL APPROACH

• Human life on earth is governed by the Nature; henceforth,  River Ganga Conservation Programme can only be achieved through holistic ecological approach based on self regulatory mechanism and regeneration abilities to maintain the homeostasis in Ganga ecosystem.
• Numerous micro and macro organisms associated directly or indirectly with Ganga River, manage the river ecosystem through food chain, nutrients cycling, decomposition of pollutants and bio-geo-chemical cycles.
• Green belt of resilient and ecologically adaptable plant species on both banks of river will solve the non point pollution problem of the Ganga River. Green belt will act as kidney in filtering the pollutants and also check the soil erosion.

2. WASTEWATER TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES

• Point pollution sources like city sewage and toxic industrial effluents should be treated in specific treatment plants before release into river. Suitability and economic viability of the new Sewage Treatment Plants be ensured before their establishment.
• For economic saving, old and existing STPs be upgraded/modified in light of their past drawbacks and recent advances in Wastewater Treatment Technologies.
• Land use patterns, fertility level of land and upstream/downstream locations for new STPs be examined so that no STP be constructed on highly fertile lands.
• Probabilities of Community Treatment Plants and recycling of the wastewater be explored for economically feasible solutions.
• Accurate quantity and quality of waste water (e.g. sewage, industrial effluents and laboratory chemicals etc.) generated at Varanasi, Allahabad, Kanpur, Hardwar etc. be assessed for long term environmental planning.
• Small scale & cottage industries (including motor workshops & garbage disposal) located in vicinity of the cities be identified and suitable treatment plants be suggested.
•  Higher dilution zones of the river Ganga be examined and preferred as disposal sites.

3. EVALUATION OF GAP – I AND GAP – II SHORT COMINGS
       Following short comings of GAP – I and GAP – II be examined carefully:

• Accumulation of persistent toxic chemicals in crop plants, vegetables and fruits etc. due to irrigation with treated water released from existing STPs.
• Mostly STPs were constructed on highly fertile croplands ignoring the basic principles of eco- resource management.
• STPs were not designed for long term sustainability.
• Lack of individual responsibility and accountability for failure of various projects.
• Ignorance of temporal and spatial variability during data generation.
• Lack of local technical expert monitoring committees at grass root level.

4. SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

• Proper quantification and quality examination of solid wastes generated in each zone of the city be assessed for their recycling and other utilizations.
• Electric crematorium on respective cremation grounds, incineration plants for cattle and separate washing ghats at downstream be established.

5. LAND USE POLICY FOR RIVER BANK

• Unauthorized constructions and encroachment near the banks and its catchment areas be stopped immediately to maintain the natural flow.

6. MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF DIFFERENT PROJECTS

• Local Technical Expert Committees with one or more expert member(s) of the NGRBA/SGRCA be formed to monitor and assess the working of ongoing projects.
• All new projects be examined by a team of multidisciplinary experts before its implementation. 

7. RAIN WATER HARVESTING, GROUND WATER RECHARGING AND  

    IRRIGATIONAL PRACTICES

•  Rain Water Harvesting, its storage, multiple uses at micro community level and Ground Water Recharging practices be encouraged to maintain the ground water status and save the Ganga water.
• Development and adoption of micro level irrigational techniques be adopted to save the huge loss of Ganga water through flood irrigation practices.

8. GANGA WATER USERS POLICY

• Maintenance of optimum ecological flow in the river Ganga and its tributaries.
• Non-consumptive activities (e.g. fishery, aquaculture, navigation etc.) of Ganga water be encouraged.
• Mechanism for restoration of Ganga ecosystem.
• Policy for the check and balance of natural resources.
•  Policy for involvement of Ganga users in various projects.
• Mass awareness programs through documentaries, Nukkad natak, literature and public lectures be organized at school/college level.

9. ESTABLISHMENT OF GANGA RESEARCH INSTITUTE & GANGA  

     KNOWLEDGE CENTRE AT VARANASI

• In the second meeting of NGRBA held on 1st November 2010  under chairmanship of the Hon’ble Prime Minister it was resolved that “A dedicated institution for Ganga related R&D activities should be setup at Varanasi as a part of NGRBA”. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a dedicated Ganga Research Institute at Varanasi.

• The Ganga Knowledge Centre (GKC) established in New Delhi (till date non-functional) should be shifted to Varanasi, which is the centrally located place in the Ganga Basin.

10. DIRECT CONTROL OF THE CENTRAL GOVT. OVER IMPLEMENTATION        

      OF ALL GANGA PROJECTS

The Ganga was declared National River in 2008, but it is still under the control of five states i.e. Uttrakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. Each state has its own regulations for the consumption and management of the river water and implementation of the Ganga related projects. Looking to the past failures of the projects implemented by the state governments, it is necessary to have direct control of the central government over implementation of all Ganga projects.

गंगा का सफाई अभियान काशी से (शुक्रवार पत्रिका)

Modi’s Ganga sutra and the politics of Varanasi (Down to Earth)

down to earth link 

May 12, 2014.

·       According to an interview given recently by B D Tripathi, member of National Ganga River Basin Authority, around 32,000 bodies are cremated on the ghats, resulting in 300 tonnes of ash. Worse, 200 tonnes of half-burnt human flesh pollutes the river. Besides, over 3,000 bodies were found floating in the river in a recent survey.

Ganges River: Revered, Soiled and Symbol of an Indian Election Campaign (New York Times)

Link to New York Times

 By SHREEYA SINHA | MAY 14, 2014.

·       Today, three hundred million liters of raw sewage mixed with industrial pollutants are dumped in the Ganges here every day, according to B.D. Tripathi, an environmental scientist and an advocate for cleaning the Ganges.

·       Dr. Tripathi, an environmental science professor at Banaras Hindu University and a member of a government panel studying the Ganges, said the flow of the Ganges is being blocked by dams for irrigation and electricity, limiting its ability to clean itself. Ninety-five percent of the pollution comes from the raw sewage and industrial pollutants pouring into it; the rest is half-burned flesh and religious items, he said. Officials claim they lack the money to build proper water-treatment facilities.

·    “We are converting a river into a pond due to our actions,” said Dr. Tripathi, blaming mismanagement for the many hundreds of millions of dollars invested in the river with little to show for it. Like many here, he believes Mr. Modi is the only candidate decisive enough to save the river.

After ministry for Ganga, a Bill to save the river (Times of India)

   link to the Times of India 

May 28, 2014, 06.37 AM IST.

·       The creation of a ministry for 'Ganga rejuvenation' has raised hopes among those rooting for a clean river. "Delinking the Ganga from the ministry of water resources is the correct step," said B D Tripathi, National River Ganga Basin Authority member and environmental scientist at Banaras Hindu University. "It will now be truly considered a water resource and help ensure its uninterrupted flow".

Pollution clogs India’s sacred Ganges River (The Australian)

link to the Australian  

ROBIN PAGNAMENTA | THE TIMES | JUNE 02, 2014 | 

·        “About 32,000 dead bodies are cremated every year in Varanasi - or 88 every day,” says Dr B D Tripathi, at the Centre for Environmental Science at Banaras Hindu University. “For this, about 16,000 tonnes of firewood is required and during the burning process about 7,000 tonnes of ash is released into the Ganges.” Although the cremation ghats are far from the only source of pollution in Varanasi, a notoriously dirty city of maze-like alleys, ancient temples, mosques and bathing ghats, where 60,000 people wash and swim in the holy river every day, there is no doubt that they are an important contributor.

·       According to the National Ganga River Basin Authority, which is trying to clean up the river, the amount of toxins, chemicals and dangerous bacteria found in it is now almost 3000 times higher than is considered safe by the World Health Organisation.

·       Adding to the problem is the high cost of the fragrant sandalwood and corkwood used in the pyres, which means that many families, cannot afford to cremate their loved ones fully - which leads to up to 300 tonnes of charred human flesh being tossed into the river annually. Industrial effluence, animal corpses and 250 million litres of untreated sewage pumped daily into the river add to the problem.

Cleaning and protecting Ganga - a forgotten pledge,June 5, 2014, Times of India

    Link to article

TNN | Jun 5, 2014, 11.12 AM IST.

Every year people observe the World Environment Day on June 5 and pledge to protect the environment and keep the rivers clean but fail to follow it in a long run. Many people are not even aware of how they are harming the environment. People who come to take holy dip in the river Ganga use soap, wash clothes and also dump flowers and devotional articles knowingly and sometimes unknowingly causing great harm to a river they respect most. "What is wrong in it," wondered a man bathing at Dashashwamedh Ghat when asked as to why he was using soap in the Ganga. He was not alone but many people like him used soap without realizing that they were polluting the river. It seems that the call of new Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who promised to clean Ganga, went in vain. "Any activist that pollutes the river should be denounced and discouraged. Besides, the discharge of sewage and industrial waste, which adversely affect the river and its aquatic life, should be stopped," said Prof BD Tripathi, noted environmental scientist at Banaras Hindu University and expert member of National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA), adding that the middle stretch of the Ganga from Haridwar to Varanasi is biologically very productive. A study conducted under Ganga River Basin Environment Management Plan by a consortium of seven IITs suggests that the productivity of the middle Ganga is due to the presence of higher concentration of nutrients, warm water and meandering river, flood plains and reduced flow velocities. According to the study on 'Floral and faunal diversity in middle Ganga segment from Haridwar to Varanasi,' it supports over 700 species. But, the study report of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) suggests that the Ganga water is highly polluted between Kanpur and Varanasi. According to Tripathi, discharge of wastewater is the major reason behind the increasing pollution of the Ganga. In Varanasi alone, over 200 MLD untreated sewage is discharged into the river. Besides, the reducing flow is another factor that harms the river. "Proper policy should be adopted to increase water quantity and maintenance of ecological flow, rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharging, natural cleaning, extraction of water directly from the river and groundwater and land use near banks," said Tripathi further adding that there was also an urgent need to educate people about the protection of river and environment.

Centre should have direct control over Ganga projects, Times of India, Jun 5, 2014

  link to article  

TNN | Jun 5, 2014, 11.22 PM IST.

·       An expert member of National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) and environment scientist at Banaras Hindu University Prof BD Tripathi suggests the direct control of the central government over the implementation of projects related to Ganga instead of leaving it on state governments. He is also not in favour of linking other rivers to Ganga just to increase its flow.

·       "The Ganga was declared National River in 2008, but it is still under the control of five states only -Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. Each state has its own regulations for the consumption and management of river water, hence the central government is not able to implement required projects for conservation," he said adding a new regulation or Act is required to put Ganga under the control of the central government. In order to implement the projects effectively an efficient monitoring committee consisting of experts from different fields should be constituted for regular monitoring. "The commitment of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Ganga is appreciable, but before execution of any new programme for the holy river all aspects should be kept in mind," he said. Continuous decrease in the flow of water for years has induced fragmentation of the river and it has imposed a serious problem to the nation and threatened the lives of 450 million people. Decrease in the velocity and quantity of Ganga water has adversely affected its dilution factor rather self-purifying capacity. The Ganga is a multi-ecosystem problem, hence only holistic approach can save the river, he added. "It would not be a wise decision to link Ganga with any other river just to increase its flow because it will kill the very essence of Ganga water for which the river is known. There should be a considerable amount of water coming from Gomukh," he said. According to him, present technologies used for the generation of hydropower in Uttarakhand are not eco friendly and destructive at ecosystem level. Uttarakhand is under low pressure zone having high wind velocity, hence wind power mills may be the best option for power generation. The construction of big dams on main streams of Ganga is reducing the flow of Ganga water and changing its natural quality. A number of small dams may be constructed on the side streams and used for power generation. Extraction and diversion of huge quantity of Ganga water should be minimized, and encroachment of its land should be stopped immediately. The existing sewage treatment plants are not appropriate, hence they should be renovated as per requirement. Besides, imported technologies for the pollution control or wastewater treatment must be tested under Indian condition

Unholy mess: Cleaning up the Ganga, Hindustan Times

 link to hindustan times. 

Furquan Ameen Siddiqui | Hindustan Times | June 06, 2014.

·       Since GAP was launched in 1986, the nature of the problem has changed, explains Dr BD Tripathi, a professor at the Banaras Hindu University, and a member of National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA).

·       “We have to now deal with what I term as a triple R problem — Reduced water carrying capacity, Reduced quality, and Reduced water flow.” The inflow of tonnes of sewage and solid waste has resulted in the increased accumulation of silt on the river bed which, in turn, has reduced the water carrying capacity. On the upper reaches of the Ganga (on the Bhagirathi, Mandakini, Alaknanda and other rivers) the flow of the river is severely checked by a number of hydroelectric projects that are either already operational or under construction. Fixing the river will also require more efficient agricultural practices. Over 90% of the water is diverted for watering fields — mostly through three canals at Haridwar, Bijnor and Narora —  contributing to a massive decline in the volume of the river.

·       Modi has said that he wants to replicate the Sabarmati model. However, the issue is much more complex when it comes to the Ganga. “The Sabarmati is about 370 km long and the Ganga is 2,525 km. The ecosystems are different,” says Tripathi.

Dying River (The Week)

 link to article in Week 

By Ajay Uprety  Dated: Saturday, June 7, 2014 11:54 hrs IST.

·       “Various factors have made the Ganga a deadly cocktail of sewage, industrial effluents and spillage from its tributaries,” says Prof B.D. Tripathi, a member of the National Ganga River Basin Authority. “The Ganga is getting fragmented and getting converted into a pond. It is grim, but it is the reality.”Official records say Rs1,100 crore was spent in the past 28 years to rejuvenate the Ganga. Unofficial estimates, however, put the figure at Rs20,000 crore. According to the government, 2.9 billion litres of sewage is discharged into the Ganga every day. In Uttar Pradesh, the Ganga is most polluted in Kanpur and Varanasi. If one goes by figures compiled by those who have been working to clean the Ganga, the picture is appalling. Every year, at the ghats in Varanasi, as many as 33,000 dead bodies are burnt and 800 tonnes of ash is discharged. The river also absorbs 3,200 dead bodies, 300 tonnes of half-burnt flesh and 6,000 carcasses a year. The three sewage treatment plants in Varanasi have a capacity to treat 102 million litres per day (mld) of waste, which is only a third of the actual volume of pollutants that the river absorbs. Moreover, the plants depend on power which is highly inadequate. The city gets around 10 to12 hours of power supply. And two of the plants have not been functioning for the past few years.

·       The authorities have turned a blind eye to the situation. “The National Ganga River Basin Authority of India, which was formed in 2009 under the aegis of the prime minister, has held just three meetings in the past five years,” says Prof Tripathi. “It is because of this attitude [of the authorities] that the various projects to clean the Ganga are not working properly.”

·       An official audit report of GAP, covering the period from 1993 to 2000, pointed out that the projects achieved only 39 per cent of its target. “The government wasted thousands of crores of rupees,” said Prof Tripathi. “There was no proper planning. Treatment plants were ill-designed and there was a complete lack of vision to execute the project.”

Ganga's Existence in Danger, Says Scientist B.D. Tripathi (Outlook magazine)

Link to Outlook article . 

MONA PARTHSARATHI | NEW DELHI | JUN 08, 2014.

·      The existence of Ganga is in danger and pollution in the river is a secondary issue, a renowned environmental scientist has said as he urged the NDA government to launch a 'Save Ganga' programme.

·       B D Tripathi, an expert member of the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA), also requested the Narendra Modi government to make active the Prime Minister-chaired body saying it was virtually non-existent during the UPA rule.

·       "My observation on the basis of my research for the past four decades is that the problem of pollution is secondary and the main problem now is the existence of Ganga. It is in danger," Tripathi told PTI.  "The mission should be called Save Ganga not Clean Ganga," he said. According to him, Ganga is facing a problem of what he termed as "triple three". "They are reduced water flow, reduced water carrying capacity and reduced water quality that is pollution," he said. Blaming the "indifferent attitude" of the previous government for the failure of the Ganga Action Plan, Tripathi said that considering the Modi government's seriousness about "Mission Ganga", NGRBA should be made functional now.

·       "Being an expert member of NGRBA, I have raised this issue several times but the previous government had an indifferent attitude towards this cause that resulted in failure of various projects so far." "There have been only three meetings of NGRBA in the past four years. Now since Narendra Modi himself has mission Clean Ganga on his priority list, so it is high time to make NGRBA functional," he said.

·       Tripathi, also a coordinator for Centre for Environmental Science and Technology at the Banaras Hindu University, has been associated with the cause since 1972. The centre had given Ganga the status of a national river and constituted the NGRBA in February 2009. The objective of the authority is to ensure the effective abatement of pollution and the conservation of Ganga by adopting a river basin approach for comprehensive planning and management. "Government has declared Ganga as a national river but till now there is no policy or planning made in this regard. Ganga flows through five states (Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal) and they exploit it in their way," Tripathi said. "Centre gives 85 per cent of funds and rest 15 per cent is contributed by states but there has been no monitoring at any level. After five years, you come to know about the failure of the plan but who is accountable for that," he asked. He maintained that the centre should see the problem in its entirety. "Almost Rs 1500 crore were spent on GAP 1 and projects amounting to Rs 20,000 crore are still running. Government must fix accountability and there should be monitoring after every three months. Monitoring committee should consist of technical experts," he said. Suggesting long term measures to address these problems, he said that there should be a complete ban on the construction of big dams at the source of its streams and usage of alternative power generating methods is must. "Eight streams of Ganga originate from Gangotri glacier but the main ones are Bhagirathi, Mandakini and Alaknanda. All the proposed dams near the source should be cancelled. They can construct small dams," he said. According to Tripathi, the whole Uttarakhand region is a low pressure zone where the wind velocity is very high so electricity can be generated through windmills like in Europe. "As far as the reduction of ground water level is concerned, rainwater harvesting should be implemented strictly," he suggested.

Poisonous gases welcome subah-e-Banaras, joggers, Times of India June 11, 2014

Link to the News

·   The unscientific disposal of waste increases air pollution and causes health problems. "Burning municipal wastes in open adds toxic gases in the atmosphere. Besides, burning waste in narrow lanes is more dangerous and health hazardous as there is no free flow of air due to high rising buildings," said Prof BD Tripathi, environmental scientist at Banaras Hindu University (BHU). According to him, biomass waste can be found in municipal waste and agricultural waste. Burning biomass creates black carbon, which is soot, smoke, and particulate matter resulting from the incomplete combustion of biomass. It is the responsibility of the municipal corporation to take care of city's environment as well as people's health,  said Prof BD Tripathi.

First implement existing laws, then formulate new ones, Times of India Jun 12, 2014,

Link to the News

·       "First those (people and agencies) should be punished who allow sewage discharge into the Ganga under the existing laws before formulating any new law to prevent pollution in the river as sewage is the major factor behind the pollution in the Ganga," said Prof BD Tripathi, environmental scientist at Banaras Hindu University and expert member of National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA).

·       Reportedly the Union Government is mulling over a new law to check pollution in the Ganga under which spitting or throwing waste in Ganga is likely to be made a punishable offence. "We already have Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Environment (Protection) Act of 1986. There are provisions in these laws to take appropriate actions against the offenders. What is the need of a new law," wondered Tripathi further adding that there was a need of strict implementation of existing laws instead of bringing a new one.

·       "The holy river faces threats to its uninterrupted flow and its purity. There are sufficient provisions in existing laws to counter the threat (pollution) to river's 'nirmalta' (purity), but unfortunately there is no punitive provision to take action against those who pose threat to its 'aviralta' (uninterrupted flow)", he said. If it there is a need then it is of a law that can curb the activities that obstruct the free flow of Ganga," he said and added that it should also be ensured that the Ganga jal coming from Gomukh reach the Bay of Bengal. "People respect Ganga as a mother for the medicinal quality of its water which heals the wounds of body and soul. Before bringing any new law the government should also ensure that the rights of Ganga users are not violated," he said further adding that an open discussion should be done before formulation of a new law.

·       After the Stockholm conference on Human Environment in 1972, it was considered to have uniform law for all the environment problems and the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 was enacted for the same. The Environment (Protection) Act of 1986 was brought to control water pollution.

·       But, the Ganga is getting polluted everyday despite these laws and programmes started for cleaning the river. In Varanasi, the constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alone over 250 mld untreated sewage finds ways to the Ganga due to lack of required sewage treatment plants. "Who is accountable for it," questioned Tripathi further adding that accountability should be fixed and stringent action should be taken to end the miseries of the Ganga. At present, the city has three STPs with a total capacity of nearly 100mld while the sewage generation is over 350mld.

Amar Ujala, Varanasi, 11 June 2014