Total and fecal coliform bacteria on the stretch of the Ganga flowing through Bihar has surpassed prescribed limits, making its unsafe for human use, according to an affidavit filed by the state environment department before the National Green Tribunal.
The state government has also informed the NGT that the construction of
sewage treatment plants (STPs) to control water pollution in the Ganga was
underway.
The affidavit was filed in response to the NGT’s query on the pollution level in the Ganga and its tributaries in Bihar.
“The total coliform (TC) and fecal coliform (FC) is beyond the prescribed standards as the household sewage generated in concerned urban areas is being discharged into the river Ganga without any prior treatment,” the affidavit said.
The finding was based on the analysis of water samples collected from 34 sites by the State Pollution Control Board.
TC indicates general bacterial contamination mostly from soil or vegetation while FC points to contamination from human or animal waste.
When TC and FC exceed the standard limits, the water becomes unfit for bathing or human consumption.
The Bihar government told the court that sewage treatment plants were being constructed in different cities and the state environment department hoped that the water quality of the Ganga and its tributaries was likely to improve.
In the meantime, the government said it was resorting to bioremediation to treat the wastewater.
Bioremediation is the process of using microorganisms to consume and break down environmental pollutants to clean a polluted site.
There are four sewage plants in Patna and one each in Barh, Munger,
Sonpur, Sultanganj, Maner, Navgachiya, Chapra, Danapur and Phulwarı Sharif.
The NGT had in the last hearing directed the local administration to register complaints against errant contractors and technology providers for lapses in sewage treatment.
The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) had earlier submitted that monitoring study and mapping of faecal coliform has been entrusted to the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi.
The main objective of the monitoring, mapping and analysis study is to determine faecal coliform and its mapping in the stretch of the Ganga between Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur and Bihar’s Bhagalpur.